Among the Masked
by sanzopriestess
Summary: It all started with a simple night time walk. But when she felt their reiatsu curiosity got the best of her and that's when things went wrong. Now trapped in a world of black and white with both enemies and acquaintances alike Kazune has to find a way to not only survive but to escape? And what happens when a wrench gets thrown into those plans? You'll have to find out. Grimmjowxoc
1. The Retrieval

**A/N**: First things first,

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Bleach, or any characters from Bleach- such as Grimmjow, Aizen, Ulquiorra….those people. I just own whatever's not cannon. Happy?

Ok and second things second**:** It's the 31st and that means that it's Grimmjow's Birthday today… so we're just gonna wish that blue haired psycho happy birthday! And then start the story…

* * *

They had been given orders to seek out a reiatsu similar to his. Once it was found they were given orders to not pursue the owner of the reiatsu but instead to report it and then await further orders. The others were not so keen to search the World of the Living for a single being; however, Ulquiorra had made it a habit between missions and meetings to search that world for what his master was seeking. It was not his place to question what the wanted the owner of the reiatsu was needed for, but instead his place was to follow orders to the best of his abilities without question, a concept some did not seem to understand.

Much like the moon in Hueco Mundo the moon in the World of the Living was but a mere crescent suspended in the sky at an angle. There was a breeze some might consider pleasant whipping his black hair and white clothes around his still, rigid form. Below his feet was a town lit by street lamps. The sounds of the city wafted up from below, faint by time it reached his ears. From what he could see there was very little activity at this time, not that it mattered. Pale hands were shoved into deep pockets as the single figure stood there, searching.

There was a chance that tonight could be like every other night thus far, that he could return to Hueco Mundo empty handed one again, but eventually results would be yielded, maybe not on this night nor the next but it was only a matter of time before they were. Aizen-sama seemed to be in absolutely no hurry to receive the being he was searching for through the Espadas so his search could take as long as it needed to without consequence.

With eyes closed, as to block out any visual distraction, such as the large town below, he scanned it for even a vaguely similar reiatsu. If this area failed to hold what it was he was searching for then he would simply move out of his range and continue searching.

Tonight could have been like every other night since the orders had been issued, however it was not. Tonight was different the search ended at the precise moment he had found exactly what it was that Aizen-sama was looking for.

Verdant eyes slowly opened, thin lips still curved into a frown despite his findings and the completion of a mission. Not a moment later a Garganta was opened. He stepped from the sky of the World of the Living and onto one of the many white halls of Las Noches. Upon reentering Hueco Mundo he sought Aizen-sama to report that he had found that reiatsu, that he was now awaiting his next orders which would be completed without flaw.

* * *

Not a better night could have been requested for a nighttime walk. Overhead not a cloud was in sight, the tiny pinpricks of light otherwise known as stars twinkled merrily and the moon, the shape of her thumbnail, was nestled between those shining stars in the black silk of the night sky. A light breeze raked its many fingers through thick hair, caressing light skin briefly before moving on to whisper through the trees and meander around buildings and down streets and alleyways.

Long strides slowed until they had stilled, bringing a figure to stand perfectly still in the middle of the sidewalk that lined one of the many deserted streets. Eyelids slowly drooped over orange irises to block out the sight of the soulless street around her so that the sensations of the beautiful night could be savored like the last bite of a favorite dessert.

Behind her she could sense her friends, the reiatsus of Hiyori and Shinji spiking mostly likely due to a squabble over something rather insignificant. Besides those two she could sense everyone else, who seemed both fine and normal. However, somewhere above her, somewhere nearby stood a strange reiatsu.

It wasn't that of a Shinigami nor was it that of a Hollow. In fact it was similar to that of her Vizard friends but at the same time it wasn't. It seemed to be more Hollow than Shinigami unlike her friends.

Orange eyes snapped opened as brows furrowed and a face turned upwards in hopes of catching sight of the one with the strange reiatsu. As the sky around her was searched a calloused hand reached for the orange hilt fastened to her waist. Tall buildings, rooftops, power lines and poles obscured her view, possibly even concealing the being from sight.

There was only one fix that did not include drawing her sword or destroying the buildings in her way. Boot clad feet leapt off the ground and into the air. A few kicks and the tops of the highest buildings had been cleared. Only as the sky was searched for the being with the odd reiatsu that had just been sensed she discovered that it had disappeared completely, as suddenly as it had come it was gone, into thin air.

Boots slowly spun in a circle as the city and the sky was swept over once again, still searching for what she had just sensed. But no matter how hard she looked, no matter how far she sensed she found that it was nowhere to be found.

Confused features smoothed into a scowl as the night walk that had started on the ground continued in the sky on an invisible path above the town.

So close. She mentally grumbled to herself, disappointed that she didn't get to see what she had sensed.

_You should have acted faster_. A voice sneered.

"Shut up." She muttered aloud to the voice in her head, who was only echoing a thought she had already had.

However, unlike the voice she had absolutely no desire to fight the being, she did not want to test its strength before proceeding to tear it slowly apart limb by limb, she merely wanted to satisfy her curiosity.

Unfortunately the voice did not obey the command and continued talking. Fortunately she was adept at ignoring it as she walked high above the city, slowly making her way home via muscle memory because mentally she was a million miles away, far too wrapped up in her thoughts to be paying attention as to where it was she was going.

* * *

As Ulquiorra showed Aizen what it was he had found the man's lips curved upwards in a smile that meant nothing good.

"Very good Ulquiorra." The man purred the words extremely pleased that she had been found.

"What are your next orders?" The fourth Espada asked in his usual monotonous voice.

The smile one Aizen's face only broadened at the question asked, "Take Grimmjow with you and bring her to Los Noches."

He knew the girl the Espada had found well and knew that she would not go with Ulquiorra willingly, she would not go with Grimmjow of her own free will either. He also added that she was to be taken to a free room and held there because he knew that she were to be immediately brought to him after being forcefully taken from the World of the Living then not only would she lash out but she would also be jumped by not just the Arrancar but also by Tosen. Aizen was not too sure of Gins reaction.

"If at all possible try not to hurt her too badly."

"Is Grimmjow the best option if you wish no harm to come to her?" Ulquiorra asked shooting the briefest of glances at the blue haired wrecking ball who sneered at him with a cocky smirk on his lips.

Trash. He thought.

That Trash was going to accompany him to deliver a mere girl to Aizen-sama.

Aizen lifted his cheek from the fist that it had been leaning against and then leaned forwards with another smile adorning his features.

"It would be wise not to underestimate her my dear Espada."

That did not mean that Grimmjow had to be the one to accompany him back to the World of the Living. However it seemed that he had no option but to complete the mission with the Trash.

"Are we goin' or what?" It asked standing.

"Yes." Was all he said turning sharply away from Aizen, not sparing the Trash another glance. A Garganta was opened and for the second time that night he returned to the World of the Living, this time not alone and with different orders.

"Do not get in my way." He said closing it behind him.

The scene had not changed a single bit during his brief return to Hueco Mundo. However almost instantly he locked on the reiatsu of the one he had felt earlier, they were still out and nearby. Without a word he took off towards the reiatsu.

He stopped not too far from a figure wearing tight black pants, thick boots that looked rather heavy, a shirt that was flapping in the breeze and a white shirt under that.

"Is that it? You're got to be fucking kidding me!" Grimmjow muttered coming to a stop. Obviously he had been expecting something more, something not so ordinary.

Before a step could be taken a thin pale arm shot out stopping the Trash from advancing on the girl who should have noticed them by now. If not having sensed them then she should have at least heard Grimmjow's voice.

Despite the reiatsu that she was keeping reigned in, the fact that she was foolish enough to keep her back to them was beginning to make him wonder if they had found the correct person.

Her reiatsu was not that of a Shinigami but not that of a Hollow either, though it was more like that of a Shinigami than that of a Hollow, an observation Ulquiorra doubted Grimmjow had made. Instead of seizing up their opponent, the one they were to not underestimate, Trash was spending his time glowering at him in what he assumed was supposed to be a threatening manner.

"Woman." He said using Sonido to step in front of her.

She let out a laugh, cocking her head slightly to the side before saying,

"So it was you I felt earlier. I was wondering if you were just going to stand behind me and watch me walk away. What do you want?"

There was a beat of silence between the two, green and orange eyes looking the other over. She did not look very threatening, very capable of much. She did not have very much reiryoku and his reiatsu was stronger than hers.

The being in front of her looked rather glum, as though he did not want to be here, though no one was keeping him there. His skin was an unhealthy color and there was a hole at the base of his throat. To top it off not only did the remnants of a Hollow mask cling to the side of his head but there was also a sword strapped to his side.

"Come with me." He said.

It was not a question, it was not a request and his voice implied that much. He turned and began walking away but when she did not follow he looked over his shoulder and he added,

"If you do not come willingly I have been given orders to take you by force."

"Will you now?" She asked in a teasing tone, not the response he had expected. "How do you expect to do that?"

"Like this!" A new voice shouted from behind as a foot came arcing towards her, aiming to get the girl right in the head. He had expected for the direct blow to land the hit, to send her spiraling towards the ground where he would continue to assault her until she hit the ground. However what he did not expect was to be knocked back to the releasing of her reiatsu.

Even Ulquiorra failed to keep his composure as orange reiatsu flared, his earlier evaluation of the girl now behind him proven wrong.

Grimmjow grinned wickedly as he righted himself. The girl had powerful reiatsu and now he wanted to see exactly what she could do.

Don't disappoint me. He thought before using Sonido to rocket towards the girl, rearing his fist back, his next few moves planned out in his mind.

Those plans flew out the window when she merely turned her body to the side, his fist sailing past her, his momentum sending him forwards and off balance. Out of the corner of his eye, as he fell past her, he saw a knife-hand aimed for his exposed throat. Quick reflexes allowed him to dodge the blow before she could strike. Grimmjow used his momentum and loss of balance to his advantage to in turn kick the girl and send her flying away from him.

As the other being with strange reiatsu managed to send her flying she muttered the incantation of the first Kido of decent strength to come to mind. She fell towards the city until she angled her body upright and stopped her decent with Shunpo before using the technique to race towards the blue haired being who was rocketing towards her.

Before they could meet in a clash of power, before they could send the other flying or hurdling towards the ground Ulquiorra stepped between the two, facing the girl Aizen-sama had requested, his back to the Trash.

"If you're done playing." He said releasing his reiatsu to blow off Grimmjow's attack and lifting an arm to fire a bala that he aimed at the girl.

She dodged it with only a second to spare, if that, throwing off at her needle straight course towards Grimmjow. Despite the disturbance in her path she continued and shouted,

"I'm not playing."She looked past the black haired man and at the seething blue haired one. She smiled then added, "Besides, I'm not going with you." She had no reason to. Was he foolish enough to believe that she was going to go with them without a fight?

Negotiation was obviously not going to work; simply asking for her to come wasn't either. She had very bluntly told them that she was not coming unless they forced her to, a method he, nor Trash had a problem with.

"Very well."

He aimed another bala at her. This attack would not miss, it also would not kill her, simply knock the girl out and make getting her to Hueco Mundo easier than if she were thrashing about. It would also piss the Trash off that he did not get the chance to fight; the few blows they had exchanged could hardly be considered a fight. If she were to fight the Trash more damage would be had than his simple bala hitting her.

"Show me what you've got."

Grimmjow sneered as she disappeared from sight, dodging the green cero of Ulquiorra, who was interrupting his fight. When she reappeared in front of him her sword was drawn and swinging dangerously. Grimmjow jerked back just fast enough so that the very tip of the sword grazed across the bridge of his nose. It might have broken skin, it might not have but either way laughter erupted from his throat as he feigned left and kicked at her once again, her orange reiatsu flaring to block the kick, though that didn't stop her from skidding away from him.

"Don't hold back." She snarled back with a smile on her face despite the situation.

She was more or less fighting for her life and they probably weren't going to stop attacking her until they had both dropped dead. Unfortunately their power was great, far greater than hers, especially when combined. Even if one of them had been on their own their defeat was not guarantee. And even though training had finally been fruitful and three minutes and fifty nine minutes had been increased to a full four minutes and thirty seconds she did not want to use that power, not yet. She did not want them knowing all of her tricks, that meant Bankai, though she supposed that Shikai would be alright to use if it came to that.

"Are you not going to draw your sword?" She asked as he blocked a stab to the chest with a single hand that wrapped around the blade, the metal tip once again grazing skin.

"Nah." He told her using her sword to bring her close and get a good punch to the gut that winded her. The grip on her sword loosened and he pulled it out of her hands with ease. Tossing it behind him he looked at Ulquiorra and said,"Don't lose that." It would be no fun to fight her in the future if she didn't have it.

"Bold words." She gasped before lashing out at the blue haired male. Her fist made no contact with skin because he had already disappeared, so she used that opportunity to pursue her falling zanpakuto. She raced to reach it before the black haired guy did. However she had no such luck. She took her attention off the blue haired guy with a bloodthirsty reiatsu and tried to figure out the best way to pry Naitomeashinga out of his pale bony hands.

Scowling Grimmjow lifted and arm and pointed at the girls back a blue cero charging. If she did not dodge she was not as strong as he had thought after the release of her full reiatsu meaning she wasn't worth the trouble of fighting. As for the bastard who had stolen her attention from their fight it was his problem for having not avoided it if he got hit.

_Come on let me out. I can get Naitomeashinga for you._

Both Ulquiorra and Grimmjow heard the girl mutter with a firm shake of her head as though she were trying to dislodge a thought.

"No."A short animalistic growl came from her before the annoyed words, "Not yet."

Neither knew who she was talking to though Grimmjow decided that the girl was a little off, maybe even crazy, while Ulquiorra thought that there might be another reason for her talking to herself.

The voice in her head, that was her trump card, a trick she didn't yet want revealed. She had to keep some techniques a secret.

_Let me out._

The voice growled again, this time more persistent. It was nearly as bloodthirsty as the being with electric blue hair and a hole in his lower abdomen. It wanted to fight, to cross swords with him.

_I'll get rid of them for you._

"What don't you understand about no?" She murmured sidestepping a cero aimed at her back that she should have sensed sooner than she had. While she sidestepped it the black haired, rather gloomy looking being simply deflected it with a flick of his wrist, still holding her zanpakuto captive.

"No is not an option." A toneless voice said before the owner of the voice suddenly appeared in front of her, aiming a blow at her neck.

She ducked, feeling the air whoosh over her head. Just in time. She thought to herself as she swept her legs at his, aiming to kick his feet out from under him so that he'd let go of Naitomeashinga. But instead of falling as she had both planned and hoped he jumped and now stood higher in the sky than she.

She didn't bother demanding that the man give it back to her, the answer was clear even if she had bothered. If she wanted it back then she was going to have to tear it from his grasp. And that seemingly simple task was going to prove to be quite difficult with the other one vying for her attention.

_Four minutes._ It pleaded. _That's all I'll need_.

In response to the voice she used Shunpo to rocket towards the black haired one. As she did she gathered a large amount of reiatsu around her hand and then compressed it so that it was small and could slice like a sword, like the one he was holding captive. She swiped but he moved out of the way with ease. Deciding that she needed to fix her attacks she gathered the reiatsu around both hands and feet.

It was an endless cycle of attacking, dodging, appearing, disappearing and shunpoing. She landed a few hits, he landed a few hits and the blue haired guy tried a few times to get involved again only to be blasted by a green cero or a Kido. Both were trying to wear the other down, to make the other weary and tired for their own purposes.

* * *

"Do you feel that?" the black haired Vizard, Lisa, asked with disinterest as she looked up from the erotic manga she had her nose buried in.

"Kazune's fighting so what?" Hiyori muttered launching an attack at Shinji, sandal in one hand, his face her target. That's what he got for making such a face at her!

Everyone was aware of the two presences fighting her. They were like them, both Shinigami and Hollow, however, they were more Hollow than Shinigami.

Two Arrancar.

"She hasn't activated Shikai or Bankai so she must be doing fine." Shinji pointed out as if that was any indication that she wasn't in need of their help. "If she's not back by dawn Rose will go see what's up."

"What was that?" The blonde man asked looking up from the guitar he was tuning on the floor when he heard his name.

"Check on Kazune in an hour or so."

"Alright." And with that he went back to doing as he had been before he had heard his name.

No one was worried about her; she was a capable fighter, as was all the other Vizards. Everyone figured that she'd be fine and back once she had wrapped up her fight.

It wasn't rare for Kazune to go missing during the night; she liked strolling around the city at nighttime no matter the season. On occasion she'd even manage to talk someone, mostly Love, Lisa or Hachi, into coming with her to keep her company during the long walks. Tonight was a particularly nice night for one of her walks but she had slipped out without a word.

* * *

She was tiring, it was obvious. Their fight was taking a toll on her. She was on the defensive now, rapid firing Kidos in every direction. She had given up trying to get her sword back from Ulquiorra and had stopped using direct attacks and started using Shunpo to get away or to take advantage of blind spots.

"Dammit just leave me alone!" She shouted both at the voice in her head and the two she was fighting, blasting the blue haired one with a binding Kido that she knew from experience wasn't going to hold him long and went to attack the other one.

_Just a few ceros and you'll obliterate them._

"I said no!"

So much for a nice stroll during the night! The skies were fading from black to dusty grey. The moon had been descending to make place in the sky for the sun that had yet to begin to make its appearance at the horizon. Instead of being able to enjoy the night she had been bombarded by these idiots who wanted her to go with them.

The black haired one appeared behind her but before she could jump away from him he said,

"Stop being foolish."

"I'm not." Foolish was the last thing she was being. It was only natural for one to fight when one did not want to go with a stranger who was hell-bent on taking them somewhere unknown.

"Our intention is not to harm nor kill you." He informed her even as he attacked.

That made her laugh. They had done a damn good job of harming her. Even if he had said that sooner, before the fist throwing had begun, did he expect her to be like 'oh, ok. I suppose since you mean no harm I'll go with two Hollow beings.'? Because even if she had been told of what their intentions were they would have found up fighting.

Where was Hachi when you needed him? She wondered.

Fortunately she wasn't the only one who had taken a few hard hits. The one who was crying green tears looked as though next to none of her attacks had even grazed him, but the blue haired one, the guy who had the joyful laugh of a maniac, he looked as bad as she felt. The difference between him and her was that while he had been hit with a magnitude of Kidos and physical attacks she had been hit with a few bullets of reiatsu and even a few weak ceros that hurt like hell. The two of them had kicked each other around the sky and even into the streets of the city for a few rounds before returning to the sky once again.

Black blood dripped down the corner of his mouth, from somewhere past his hairline, burns and scrapes covered his body and blood, both his and hers, had stained his white uniform that sort of matched that of the black haired being.

"Is that all you've got?" The one with the hole in his abdomen, the one she had just bound sneered as though having his legs and arms locked against his body didn't bother him in the least.

"No." She answered turning away from in time to see him breaking free from the Kido and speeding towards her with a technique a lot like Shunpo.

* * *

Rose looked up to see that the sky was a mix of fiery oranges and blazing pinks instead of fading black and fading black.

Guess it's dawn.

He thought putting his guitar down and excusing himself from the conversation he had been having with Love about a manga they had both recently finished, no risk of the spoilers he despised so much slipping out of Loves mouth.

"I'm going to check on Kazune now!" he announced at the door before closing it behind him. As he stepped outside he located her and raced towards where she was.

He found her fighting, her zanpakuto not in her possession; however before he could take a step towards her and the bloodthirsty male the second Arrancar appeared before him saying,

"Do not interfere Trash."

* * *

The arrival of Rose distracted her. That and the fact that he wasted no time in donning his Hollow mask and attacking the black haired guy was what tore her attention off that of her current opponent.

When she looked away towards a blonde haired guy with reiatsu similar to hers Grimmjow saw his opportunity.

Even though he'd rather draw out the fight until she passed out from exhaustion the arrival of the new bastard meant that he should probably wrap things up. It wasn't like he wasn't going to get another opportunity to fight the girl Aizen had interest in.

Instead of simply attacking her neck to knock her out in one clean blow he kicked her out of the sky. And as she fell he continued his barrage of punches and kicks, not giving her a chance to retaliate. She weakly lifted her arms exposing her torso but not covering her face. If she wasn't unconscious upon hitting the ground or before it was reached then he would have to fix that with a few Balas or a weak cero, either would work.

The girl hit the ground hard and when the smoke cleared she lay there motionless in the center of a crater created by the force of her body slamming into the ground like a meteor. Grimmjow landed on the street and began slowly walking towards her, a wicked smile on his face, carefully watching for any sign of movement. When he reached her he cocked his head to the side.

Out already? He mentally grumbled, so much for a good fight. He then pulled back his foot and proceeded to kick her, sending her out of the crater and into the street.

The smile on his face fading into a frown as he walked out of the crater and over to where the girl's body now lay.

"Next time don't hold back bitch." Grimmjow grumbled bending over and picking her up. He tossed her limp body over his shoulder and used Sonido to stand above Ulquiorra.

"Let's get out of here." He said down to Ulquiorra who disappeared from sight only to reappear in front of the opening Garganta Grimmjow had opened.

Wordlessly they stepped through, both keeping the blonde man away from the doorway into Hueco Mundo with ceros and balas. One was solemn looking with the slightest traces of a frown and the other grinning as he lifted a hand and smacked the girl on the ass just to piss off the blonde haired man who had come to rescue his princess.

Once the opening had blocked out the vibrant morning sky of the World of the Living Ulquiorra pivoted on his heel and Sonidoed towards Los Noches, not caring if Grimmjow managed to keep up or not.

* * *

**A/N:** So usually I don't have two of these, let alone ones that are this long. So what did you think? This is my first attempt at a Bleach fanfiction so I hope it was somewhat bearable. Updates might be kind of slow, I have other stories to finish but those shouldn't take too terribly long. I hope to see you in chapter 2 whenever it comes out. Sorry about all the switching there won't be as much of that in the next chapter I don't think.

Oh and another thing, anyone know how to use Sonido/Shunpo in past tense? Do you just add an ed?

Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, how I could improve and what I could do better. Please I beg you to tell me if I've gotten anyone OOC (I'll have to fix that right away) and how they were OOC. So the moral of this message is that reviews are welcome.

Thank you.


	2. Delivery

Letting out a curse Rose returned to be base as quickly as he could.

"I thought you were getting Kazune." Love said before Rose could say a single thing. He peered around the blonde as if expecting to see her following behind the blonde even though not a single one of them could feel her reiatsu anymore. It was as though she had just disappeared, there wasn't a single trace of their friend anymore.

"One of the Espada, he wouldn't let me past to help Kazune no matter what I did. And the other, he beat her." He explained what happened in the shortest possible way. Rose was rather upset that he had been the reason for her abduction. He had distracted Kazune from her fight and that had been her undoing.

Lisa sat forwards, closing the book that she had finished upon Rose's entry, and asked, "Are you implying-"

He knew what she was asking and was quick to answer her, not even letting her finish her question. "That they took her to Hueco Mundo?" He nodded his head. "Yes."

"Looks like she wasn't fine after all." Kensei growled clenching and unclenching his fists at his sides. Sure him and Kazune didn't have the best relationship out of the Vizards but he couldn't stand by and let one of his own get taken, especially when they all knew that Aizen was the one behind it. They generally kept to themselves so he was the only one who would want anything to do with them, more specifically Kazune.

Hiyori was now perched on the arm of the couch Mashiro was sleeping soundly on, oblivious to what was going on in reality. They'd fill her in when she awoke. "Anyone else notice that she didn't use Bankai, Hollowfication or even Shikai?" Hiyori moved her arms so that they ran parallel along her legs, her wrists resting on her knees and her hands dangling over as she surveyed the room gauging their reaction to what she had just said.

"I thought it was odd..." Love mused, quietly trailing off.

"What are you trying to say Hiyori?" Hachi asked walking into the room. He had been in the other room when he had caught only the last bit of the conversation that was being held. It was concerning that Kazune had managed to get kidnapped and that she hadn't fought her hardest to get away from the Espadas she had been up against.

"Well first off sending two was overkill." Overkill and hardly fair. But then again the one pulling the strings didn't give a shit about being fair. In fact two was probably their safest bet now that she thought about it. "Secondly, why wouldn't Kazune use her strongest attacks to ward them off?" Hiyori paused and then a thought struck her. "This could have been staged ya know." Kazune had connections to Aizen that the rest of them didn't and that was the cause for her words, for her suspicions.

"Why would she have gone with them? We all know who's in charge there and it's the last man she'd ever think about going to." Shinji pointed out.

"You know Kazune wasn't acting as though she wanted to go or anything. She couldn't have used Shikai or Bankai even if she wanted to." Rose stepped back into the conversation, stopping it in its tracks before it shot straight into the dangerous territory it was heading straight for. In other words damage control. He didn't want them to start accusing her of things that weren't true, things that she hadn't done.

"Oh?" Hiyori asked and then snapped a variation of the question on all of their minds. "And why is that?" Her Shunpo technique was quite impressive and she was quite gifted in almost every technique taught at the Academy.

"The Espada who stopped me from assisting Kazune had her zanpakuto in his hand. She was relying on Kido, her weakest fighting style."

Even after extensive and tireless training with Hachi her Kido technique was almost shameful. No matter how much better she had come, how far she had come in the past hundred years her Kido was still surprisingly terrible.

Hiyori was glad to hear that her friend had in fact not gone to the dark side of her own free will. She grinned devilishly, eyes shifting slyly from side to side before asking, "So then what's our plan?"

* * *

It did not take long for the two Espada to reach Las Noches. During the trip the girl on Grimmjow's shoulder did not wake, she did not stir or move the slightest of muscles, which made the trip uneventful. The only sound was that of the air rushing past their ears. Ulquiorra had nothing to say to the Trash and Grimmjow had nothing to say to Ulquiorra. And of course the girl was unconscious and therefore had nothing to say to the either of them.

Upon entering the large, white castle Tosen greeted them. He told Ulquiorra to report to Aizen-sama and when he turned towards and then addressed Grimmjow to tell him to follow him Tosen's voice filled with not so subtle dislike of the Sexta Espada.

Conversation was not attempted as the pair walked in stony silence. Without a word to the other both had reached the same conclusion. That neither had any desire to speak to the other, just as him and Ulquiorra had reached the same conclusion. So it was the only sound that filled the long white corridors was the echoes of their footsteps.

The Espada's orders had been to simply retrieve Kazune, not engage in battle with her. And even though he couldn't see the state of her body her reiatsu was weak and Grimmjow had obviously not obeyed the simple orders he had been given.

Why did it have to be the blind Shinigami?! The Shinigami that hated him! Why couldn't it have been the fox faced one or one of the other Espada or some other random Numeros?! Of everyone in Las Noches that could have been sent to greet them and tell them their orders it had to be Tosen. Grimmjow mentally raged, a deep frown etched in his expression. Almost anyone else in Las Noches would have been better.

So badly he wanted to toss the deadweight girl aside and attack the man who managed to piss him off by walking next to him silently. However strong the temptation Grimmjow did not need to give the Shinigami a single reason to act against him because he knew that Tosen would run straight to Aizen the moment he unsheathed his sword and pointed it at him.

So begrudgingly Grimmjow resisted temptation.

After navigating the maze of halls within Las Noches the Shinigami came to a stop in front of a door that looked like the rest. In a clipped, stone cold tone he said, "Report to the throne room once you have placed her in there." Before leaving Tosen reached into his clothes and pulled out a warm metal circle that he had been ordered to give to Grimmjow. However not trusting the Sexta Espada to put it on, let alone doing it correctly he reached out for Kazune, found her exposed neck and latched the collar like device around the her neck with a snap that reverberated down the hall. Once it was secured he turned and Shunpo'ed away.

Maybe the Sexta Espada could manage to do the simple task of putting her in the room correctly.

After opening the door to the room that was to be the girl's cell Grimmjow carelessly threw her into it. What was a few more bruises? She was already scrapped up and would have several marks upon waking up. Her body rolled to a stop just before it reached the white couch. Droplets of blood smeared on the floor, left in the wake of her limp body.

So that's what the bastard did to her before leaving. Grimmjow thought upon seeing the thick black thing wrapped around her neck as he pulled the door shut.

One shoulder and his back were covered with blood from where she had bled all over him. He took his time strolling towards the throne room with now free hands shoved deep into pockets.

There was no rush, not for him at least.

* * *

Ulquiorra stopped before the throne that Aizen-sama sat upon, looking down at the Espada and their Fraccion. Only the Sexta Espada was missing but it wasn't him who needed the report.

"Would you like to see the events of the mission?" The black haired Espada asked reaching for his eye. Slender fingers froze just above the organ but did not remove it until the word was spoken.

Aizen smiled an eager smile and answered his subordinate's question. As a result pale fingers plunged into the eye socket and pulled out a single verdant eye that was then held at arms distance before it was crushed. Its fragments dissipated and dispersed throughout the room, replaying the mission through the eyes of Ulquiorra.

Surprisingly instead of a frown taking over his features the smile remained and even broadened. The images of Kazune and her fight, her efforts not to be taken hostage, danced behind closed lids. Aizen watched closely, looking for improvement in any and everything. He looked for an increase of power, in technique, composition and in execution. And in those areas he was not disappointed.

Her Kido technique had certainly strengthened over the last hundred years though by no means was it satisfactory, when he next saw her he was going to have to lecture her on how she needed to be better rounded. Kido had always been her weakest technique and even when he was in the Soul Society he had pressed for perfection. It was an easy weakness to take advantage of and it needed to be corrected.

However she did not even summon Shikai, let alone Bankai. And the mask of her Hollow, she had not donned it either. Of course that was assuming she had achieved Bankai yet and tamed her Hollow over the past century. The lack of those three things disappointed him greatly for he had been looking forwards to seeing both her Hollow mask and Bankai. Even though he was quite disappointed he didn't let it show.

"She held back." He simply stated careful to keep any trace of emotion out of his voice.

"You're fucking telling me." An annoyed voice rang out as the door to the room was thrown open and in walked the missing Espada.

"It seems my warning was for nothing." Aizen sighed heavily and fixed a pointed look at Grimmjow. "And it seems my orders weren't followed either."

"She's here aint she?" Grimmjow asked using his pinky to clean out one of his ears. As far as he was concerned he had completed the mission and followed orders just fine, without a hitch in fact. "Besides it won't be long before she's kickin' and screamin' once more." Now done cleaning his ear he loudly cracked his knuckles with a wide grin. Next time he was going to push her into fighting for real. He was going to make her use her power, all of it. The thought of seeing all of her power excited him, it got his blood racing and a smile was hard to keep at bay.

Tosen took a step forwards, aiming to reprimand the Sexta Espada only to be stopped in his tracks by the lifting of Aizen's hand.

"She is." Aizen agreed with Grimmjow's statement with a slight nod. She was indeed here, he could feel her all too familiar reiatsu. Here, as in within Hueco Mundo and most importantly here in Las Noches. The smile faded from his face and a solemn expression replaced it. "However I am not pleased."

Not surprised either. In all honestly he had expected her to come back in a state far worse than the one she was currently in. It was only expected with Grimmjow's brutal, sadistic and impulsive nature and Kazune's stubborn and prideful nature colliding. Her stubborn streak was larger than the entire Soul Society. And her pride, it stopped her from declining challenges no matter what they were.

Challenges like Grimmjow.

"My apologies Aizen-sama." Grimmjow bowed his head and tried to keep the sarcastic sneer out of his voice. But that was all he would do to show his supposed remorse. He wasn't sorry for roughing the girl up a bit but instead sorry that she had held back. Plus an apology of sorts, some sign of remorse for his actions was what Aizen wanted to hear, so that's what Grimmjow gave the man.

"See that it doesn't happen again."

To those words he got no promise, no sign that he had even heard those cool words, but instead the question, "So what's that thing Tosen put on her neck?"

Everyone knew that Aizen didn't do pointless things. He did not kidnap pointless people. At least not normally he didn't. Aizen wanted the girl for something and that choker thing had a specific purpose. That much Grimmjow knew.

"You may not realize this but we've been expecting the arrival of Ka-"

"Just tell me about the device on her neck." He interrupted much to Tosen's displeasure. He couldn't care less about how long they had been expecting her, but since they had been expecting her that meant that Aizen hadn't decided to kidnap her on a whim that could only benefit him in the end no matter the actual outcome.

With a nod Aizen said one word, rather one name. "Szayel."

That was his cue. He had been waiting for that question to be asked, or for him to be told to explain what it was that he had created for the Vizard girl that Aizen had been using the rest of the Espada to seek. The pink haired Espada stepped out of his place and opened his mouth. "That, in terms that someone like you would understand-"

"Watch it." Grimmjow snapped looking over his shoulder at the pink haired Espada with a scowl. "Wouldn't want to say anything to piss me off would you?" He asked in a sarcastic voice that neared sing-song. He was itching for a fight since the girl hadn't provided him with much and he was going to leap at the first person who gave him a reason to start a fight.

He simply ignored the interruption and started again, undeterred. "In short, easy to understand terms, that is a reiatsu limiter. Now, before you open your oversized mouth and ask what it does hold your tongue and listen for just a few more seconds." He paused in case Grimmjow had anything he'd like to say in response to that, any sharp threats that more than likely weren't empty. Grimmjow wasn't known for empty threats. Seeing that he didn't Szayel continued, "This device keeps the wearer's reiatsu at a constant level, draining the excess."

"Aaannd she needs the damned thing why?" It wasn't as though the girl knew how to properly use the amount of reiatsu that she possessed. When they had fought she certainly hadn't used it well.

The eighth Espada simply smiled and then asked Aizen if they could be dismissed, now that the report had been given and they had no other reasons to stay. When Aizen nodded and his consent given the room began to clear, Szayel included.

However when the man reached the door he paused and looked over his shoulder saying, "With your violent tendencies, dangerously short temper and impulsive nature I'm sure you'll eventually get the answer to your question." And with that said he slipped through the door and disappeared.

Leaving Grimmjow confused by his answer.

* * *

"I'm glad Aizen-sama sent us to see the new girl." A black haired Arrancar said, her voice sing song as she spoke to the blonde Arrancar who was carrying the white and black clothing beside her. When her companion didn't reply she continued on, "From what I've heard she isn't much."

"Then you have nothing to worry about."

"I'm not worried." She snapped. "But if she's anything short of bland we're gonna have to let her know that Aizen-sama is mine. And that she had better keep her hands off." The grip on the tray she was carrying tightened. The food on the tray was another reason for their visit, besides the meal and the uniform they had a message to relay.

* * *

With only so many hours of a day that could be slept away Kazune was becoming restless and very anxious. Her restlessness was obvious, for she could not even sit still longer than thirty seconds, but her anxiety, that she was keeping hidden under a mask of nonchalance, trying not to let it show. She had so many questions all that were without an answer.

_You're all healed and well rested now bust us out of here. Let me out and I'll lend you a hand. I'll cero a wall down._

It didn't help that her only company was that of her Hollow, who was constantly demanding to be 'let out' or that she put on the mask. Her Hollow wanted her to get out of the room, to start blasting away and ask questions later.

"You don't even know what's on the other side of these walls." She didn't know where they were. For all she knew she could be in the very center of wherever it was she had been put in and promptly forgotten about.

_Neither do you._ It argued. _Anyway would you rather sit here and await your fate or blast through a couple of walls and get out?_

"I think I'll wait thank you." She muttered before she began Shunpo'ing laps around the room. The ceilings were incredibly high, great for training and movement in general. It was a small blessing that she was very grateful for.

Kazune wasn't waiting for prince charming like the girls in the fairy tales from the World of the Living that she had read. She wasn't even waiting for any of the Vizards, though they probably weren't just sitting idle either. Kazune didn't know what it was that she was waiting for. Maybe it was the answers to her unanswered questions or maybe it was simply curiosity was keeping her confined in the white room and preventing her from giving into her Hollow and getting the hell out of wherever it was they had thrown her.

It seemed that curiosity was her downfall. After all if she hadn't been curious about the Hollow-Shinigami beings then she wouldn't have encountered them and lost the fight against the blue haired one. And if she wasn't curious as to why it was she was here then she'd have already blasted her way out. For all Kazune knew she was waiting to be led to the slaughter. If it came to that then maybe she'd put on her Hollow's mask and unleash her power. But that was only if it came to that.

_Someone's approaching._ Her Hollow warned.

"Naw really?" Kazune muttered, hand instinctively reaching across her body to grasp the hilt of her sealed zanpakuto. Only this time her fingers did not wrap around the hilt, no blade was drawn. Her palm closed around nothing but air.

Right they hadn't returned Naitomeashinga yet. A smart move Kazune supposed though she wasn't happy with it.

_You just had to go and lose your best weapon didn't' you?_ Her Hollow sneered.

"Shut up." She growled untying the bright orange ribbon that tied the sheath of her zanpakuto to her waist. "This will work."

With her makeshift weapon gripped tightly in hand Kazune prepared for whoever it was approaching the room that was her cell, tense and poised to attack. The reiatsu was not that of the beings that had attacked her but it was similar, being both Shinigami and Hollow. And despite the fact said reiatsu was unfamiliar, didn't seem bloodthirsty, and there were two instead of a single one she still expected the blue haired man from the other day to strut in like a king, acting as though he owned the place and even demand to finish the fight they had never completed.

_You're not really going to use that as a weapon are you?_

"Have any brighter ideas that don't include me putting on the mask?" She snapped aloud, careful to add the last part. But when her Hollow didn't answer she nodded her head once and muttered, "Thought so."

Not seconds later the door opened and in walked two young looking girls. They looked similar to that of a seventeen year old human, much younger than the two men who she had encountered the other day. Both of the girls had a fragment of a Hollow mask over opposite eyes. Each of them was carrying something. One had a tray and the other a pile of white cloth with black and white shoes, not unlike the ones that the girls were wearing and that her captors had on as well.

One pink and one green eye flicked over her body, seizing her up. The three girls regarded each other in silence. But then a smile broke out across the pink eyed girls face before she said, "See, she really is nothing special."

Kazune decided to ignore the comment, having been taught to hold her tongue if she what she had to say was not worth the breath it took to say. Relaxing ever so slightly she took one hand off the sheath and pointed at the tray the pink eyed girl was holding and asked, "Is that poisoned?" It was not a crazy question to ask for maybe they were going to drug her so she wasn't going to be conscious for whatever they had in store for her. Or maybe they were going to move her and preferred to have her unconscious and not such a hassle. It didn't help that the food didn't look near as appetizing as Kensei's. She hated to say it, and always bothered him about the fact that he could cook so well, but Kensei's food was good and looking at the bland spread on the tray she was beginning to miss his cooking.

_I wouldn't eat it even if they said it wasn't._

The voice in her head spoke as the girl responded to her question.

"Shut up. I'm hungry." She muttered under her breath. The girls were the first people she had seen since her fight with the two men with the strange reiatsus.

"Excuse me?" The black haired, school-girl skirt wearing one growled. "I don't think I heard you correctly. What did you say?" She took a threatening step towards the girl, pink eye twitching with anger. How dare Aizen's prisoner tell her to shut up! She was going to have to remind the girl of her place.

"That I was hungry?" Kazune thought nothing of what she had said to her Hollow. She was so used to the people around her knowing that when she said 'shut up' in the middle of a conversation or in the middle of someone talking that she was not addressing them but instead the voice inside her head that none of them could hear, the one that they tended to mentally reply to when theirs bothered them.

In response the girl spat into the food on the plate before thrusting it out towards the girl, sneering, "Still hungry?"

Kazune shrugged. "I'll eat it." As disgusting as someone's spit being on her food was it didn't make it inedible. Plus if her choice was food with spit versus no food at all she knew exactly which of the two options she'd choose.

Not liking the captive's response she threw the tray onto the floor and lifted her foot. When she was done there was no way the girl was going to want the food. Upon hitting the ground the plate cracked, the glass of tea was upset and the sliverwear skittered off as if trying to escape the foot that repeatedly descended down upon what was supposed to be Kazune's meal. She ground the cracked plate, the tray and the cup into dust and the food into an unrecognizable mess, the spilled tea assisting her efforts.

Once she was done destroying her meal she wiped her foot on the ground, looked up and asked, "How 'bout now?"

"I think I'll pass."

The girls hand shot towards the food, gesturing to it as she asked, "Is this not good enough for you?" She paused and then sneered, "You're a prisoner, you're lucky we're even feeding you. Right Menoly?" She looked over her shoulder at the tomboy-ish blonde who had placed the clothes on the single piece of furniture within the room and had returned to the door, quietly watching the drama unfold.

She quickly nodded and echoed the black haired girl. "Yes. You're fortunate to even be receiving food."

It wasn't as though the girls had been nice upon entry but Kazune didn't understand why they were being so nasty. As far as she was concerned she hadn't done anything wrong, anything to upset the black haired one. It wasn't as though she had murdered her friend or committed some kind of unforgivable act. On her face was a slight frown, her brow furrowed but her sheath still gripped tightly in hand in case they attacked she was ready to start swinging.

The girl with the bright pink eye that reminded Kazune of the roses that often decorated the covers of Lisa's books, cocked her head, smiled and then said,

"We were told to make sure you eat your food so," She disappeared from Kazune's sight using the Shunpo like technique the two men had used before to get behind her faster than she could follow. Once she reached her destination a fist full of thick brown hair was grabbed.

Kazune reached back with one hand to grab the girl's wrist and to try to pry the hand out of her hair.

She jerked back, making Aizen-sama's captive stumble back to avoid getting her hair yanked any further. Before the girl could regain her footing she threw the girl towards the tray of food she had destroyed she barked out the words, "EAT IT!"

Kazune landed inches from the mess on her stomach, the force of the shove having been too much for her to catch herself on her hands and knees. The black sheath was caught under one of her palms while the other slapped the floor hard.

_Don't you dare just take this!_ Her Hollow screamed at her as she pushed herself up to her hands and knees. _If you don't do anything i'm taking control and beating the shit out of them!_

"I said eat it!" A foot landed in the middle of her back and forced her back to the ground. The message they were supposed to relay about being fast in eating and getting dressed forgotten.

_I said don't just take this! _Her Hollow roared.

Kazune let out a small growl, aimed both at her Hollow and the girl assaulting her. She was not just going to take it. She was going to make the girl regret having touched her in such a manner. She was going to make her Hollow as proud as she could when it came to Shinigami techniques, as she wielded a sheath and was still unwilling to use any Hollow techniques.

* * *

"I told them over an hour ago to be quick in giving Kazune her food and clothes." Aizen grumbled letting out a small sigh. He was quite unhappy and had long since grown impatient. There was no reason Kazune should not be standing in front of him at this very minute. It took fifteen minutes tops to eat, five to get dressed and a handful of minutes to get to the throne room. Combined that hardly filled a half an hour.

"Perhaps you should have asked someone else." Gin said. Like usual his eyes were closed and the usual smile was stretched across his face.

"Perhaps." He agreed then slowly turned his head so that he was now looking at the shinigami who had spoken. "Go see what is taking so long Gin." It was not a question, it was not a suggestion either but instead an order.

The silver haired Shinigami wasted no time exiting the throne room but once out of Aizen's sight and so far from the room he had just exited Gin slowed his pace. Now Tosen was the only one to deal with the irritated ruler of Hueco Mundo, which was fine by him.

He quickly felt for her familiar reiatsu, located it and adjusted his course accordingly. As he walked her direction wondered how she'd react to seeing the three of them. Surely she wasn't going too pleased, especially when she saw Aizen.

If at all possible the smile on his face got larger.

Whatever her reaction was it was going to be entertaining. That Gin knew for sure.

"Aaah Grimmjow." He stopped the rude Espada upon seeing him.

"Whaddya want?" The Sexta Espada grumbled looking irritated that he had been stopped. Inside their pockets his hands curled into fists, glad that they hadn't managed to act upon the thoughts of attack that had been going through his head before he had realized that it was Gin who had stopped him. Grimmjow hadn't seen the Shinigami approaching having been too wrapped up in his thoughts, too intent on reaching his goal.

Gin wasn't surprised by Grimmjow's rude manner, he didn't particularly care. However in a teasing manner he said, "Where are your manners?" His only response was a quiet growl. Chuckling he asked, "Are you doing anything?"

"Yeah." Blue eyes narrowed wondering what was going to come from the Shinigami's mouth next. No one asked if the other person was doing something unless they wanted them to do something for them, unless they had a 'favor' to ask of the person on the receiving end of the question. It was rather unfortunate that he was currently on the receiving end of the question. Whatever task it was Gin wanted him to do Grimmjow most certainly did not want to do it, unless it was a good fight but that he doubted he'd be asked to do.

"Something so important that it can't wait?"

"Sorry." That was the last thing that Grimmjow was. Of course Grimmjow was sorry that he hadn't seen the Shinigami sooner, that he hadn't gone a different way, that he hadn't gotten lost or that the disappointing fight he had just finished hadn't lasted even a minute longer. He was sorry that he was standing here talking to Gin. But he wasn't sorry that his goal couldn't wait.

He cocked his head to the side and asked, "What is it that's so important that it cannot wait?"

Grimmjow started continuing on his way before answering the question. "My nap." His bed was his goal. Now if only he could have made it that far.

"Well I'm afraid that will have to wait until after the meeting that's going to be soon after you find out what's taking Kazune so long and then deliver her to the throne room."

Before Grimmjow could protest, rather before his explicative protests could be heard the Shinigami was gone, the only thing lingering was a quiet chuckle.

"Back already Ichimaru?" Aizen asked admittedly a little surprised to see him back after less than a full five minutes. The response he got was the Shinigami's usual smile.

Managing to tear his eyes from the doors right in front of him he turned his head to give the silver haired man a glance. "Where exactly is Kazune?"

"I had Grimmjow go get her."

Aizen waited patiently for Gin to burst out laughing and then tell him that he was just kidding or for Kazune to walk in even though her reiatsu was nowhere near him or the doors he was watching so carefully. But as the silence dragged on, it became evident that neither was going to take place Aizen resisted the urge to face palm.

* * *

"The hell is Kazune?" He grumbled with a frown.

Giving it a second thought he realized that it was probably the girl Aizen had him and Ulquiorra kidnap from the World of the Living.

With a mean scowl, shoulders hunched and hands shoved deep into his pockets Grimmjow began stalking towards where he remembered having thrown the girl. Anyone Grimmjow passed gave him a wide berth, the lower Arrancar afraid for their lives. Grimmjow Jaegerjaques was not happy and he didn't give a fuck who knew it, the world was free to know.

When Grimmjow opened the door to the room a blast of fire just narrowly missed him, singeing the wall on the other side of the hall and the frame of the door. A few quiet steps into the room and something squelched under his foot. When he looked down he saw exactly what it was he had stepped on.

"The fuck?!" He muttered wiping his foot on a clean spot of the floor trying to figure out what the hell it was he had stepped on.

Done trying to figure out what the hell it was he looked up to see three girls in the room. Not a single one of them were standing on the ground. One girl, the girl who had been a bloody mess the other day- she was still currently a mess, at least her clothes were- was brandishing what Grimmjow quickly identified as a sheath as though it was the sword Ulquiorra had given to Aizen for 'safe keeping'.

She and a blonde were quite calm while the other girl, some black haired Arrancar he may or may not have recognized from behind, was furious. She was shouting and carrying on about God only knew what. And her anger was affecting her judgment, her attacks. Her voice was annoying. He determined as they began to flash around the room, pausing only to attack one another. It seemed that the two Arrancar girls were against the girl he had captured upon Aizen's orders.

They paused to exchange a few blows and to talk the collared girl's ear off. Instead of firing a cero and making his presence known to the three girls, who hadn't yet noticed him, he Sonido'ed over to the black haired girl. The moment his hand wrapped around her small throat her annoying voice was abruptly cut off before he reared back and used all of his strength to throw her away from the girl who was waving the sheath around like a bat.

The wall did not stop the girl who had been thrown; she did not hit the wall and then slide down to the floor as she should have. Instead she flew through the white wall as though it were made of nothing more than paper. The next wall was that of the wall on the other side of the hallway that Grimmjow had just walked down. Her body collided with that wall as well but it seemed to be sturdier because when she hit that wall, it crumbled under the sudden forceful impact of her body flying into it. It crumbled like stale bread but it also stopped her flight. Her body fell to the ground like a ragdoll that a child had failed to catch after throwing it into the air; large chunks of the wall fell down around her trapping her body between them and the ground.

SHIT!

Was the only thought Kazune had once the loud black haired girl was no longer a threat and the blue haired male was what replaced her. Instantly she began swinging the sheath wildly and with all of her strength at the girls replacement. In all honesty she'd prefer he hadn't taken the pigtailed girl's place because he was worse than her. He was stronger and had probably come back for another fight, to finish the one they had started at the very least. She was more afraid of him than she was of the girl that he had sent flying with ease that made her determined not to let him get his hands on her.

As he has with her zanpakuto he caught her attack with a single hand. He yanked his arm back, in turn jerking the girl towards him. She stumbled forwards but caught herself before she fell into him. Orange eyes widened as blue eyes narrowed.

Leaning in and down Grimmjow growled, "Bitch I'm helping you." With that he shoved her away from him and attacked the blonde one who had also been bothering the girl Gin had called Kazune.

There was no rhyme or reason for his random act of kindness; in fact it would never happen again. It's just that he was irritated as it was and the girls pissed him off. They were making his job harder, longer, and were shortening his nap. They were in his way and he was fixing it. It just so happened that he was also helping the girl he had been sent to retrieve.

That's all he wanted, a quick fucking nap. Was it too much to ask for?

The blonde had taken advantage of the few second exchange between him and the sheath swinging girl to go to her friend's side and begin to start throwing chunks of wall aside, to start unburying her. Grimmjow Sonido'ed out of the hole the first girl's body had made and attacked the two of them with a few Balas. Unfortunately before too much damage could be done to either of them the black haired girl was pulled free from the rubble and they fled. Using Sonido they quickly got out of Grimmjow's range as fast as they possibly could, disappearing down the hall. Grimmjow fired a single Cero after them. Instead of chasing after them as he should have, as he usually would have, he shoved his hands back into their pockets and walked back into the room.

"Get dressed." He ordered flopping onto the couch, one arm across the back, his posture slouched and his legs wide apart. His demeanor relaxed, quite at ease as though he weren't the slightest bit worried about her or potential attacks.

His manner offended her even though she knew that there was no way she was going to beat him without her Zanpakuto and her reluctance to 'put on' her Hollow's mask. It was for emergencies, just as Hollow techniques like Cero and Bala were.

"I am dressed." She informed him as if he were blind, crossing her arms over her chest even though she knew exactly what he meant. Unlike the at ease man on her couch she was tense, on guard and waiting for an attack, his attack. She was carefully watching him, waiting for him to disappear using the Shunpo like technique and appear right in front of her, fist, foot or sword ready for attack. He was stronger than the two girls, maybe even stronger than herself but that wasn't going to stop her from putting up one hell of a fight.

"In these." He said breaking her train of thought as something hit her in the face; two other something's that felt like shoes, hitting her body. Quickly, in case he was going to attack while she was blind Kazune tore the cloth from her face and threw them down at her feet on top of the black shoes that had fallen to the floor. Surprisingly he had not moved an inch. Only instead of having a bored expression on his face he now looked amused.

He was laughing at her! Orange eyes narrowed dangerously but she didn't move an inch. What could she do to him with weak Kidos, a sheath, and hand to hand combat skills that she hadn't used in a long time?

It was funny that she seemed shocked that he had thrown her clothing at her face. It was also amusing that she was so ready for him to attack. Grimmjow had no intentions of fighting her now, there wasn't enough time and he wouldn't want to keep Aizen waiting now would he? Not only that but she didn't even have her sword and fighting her with a sheath as her only weapon would be quite boring. It wasn't worth it to try and fight her now, she wouldn't be able to show him all of her power without the stupid sword.

It was obvious that she was not pleased with his antics but she didn't make a single move, she didn't retaliate even the slightest bit.

"And if I say no?" She defiantly challenged crossing her arms across her chest. She wasn't going to make things easy on the blue haired man, not if she could help it.

Just like the room that surrounded her, the clothes at her feet were white, though there was some black as well. If she changed the little color from the plaid button up shirt she was wearing would be gone. The little color left in her world would disappear.

It seemed that everyone she had seen as of yet was wearing a variation of the white and black clothes. So if she put them on then she'd be surrendering to them, submitting to them, sending them the message that she had no fight left in her, which was not the case. Kazune would not surrender, she would not submit and she would not give up. She was simply curious and going along with things for now.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with what she had on now besides the fact that it was not a version of the beings clothing, that was the only problem she could see and even then that wasn't much of a problem. Sure her clothing was bloody, scrapped, had a few new holes, and was scuffed up but like the food with spit that had been offered she could live with it, it wasn't going to kill her to wear the clothes that had seen their better days.

"Then I'll force you into them." He told her. If it came down to forcing her into the clothes at her feet then he would and he wouldn't have a single problem with doing so.

Gin hadn't told him anything about having her in the uniform when he took her to the throne room, but it was here for a reason wasn't it? It didn't help that he was currently in an antagonistic mood, even if he didn't want to actually fight her there was more than one way to fight.

A disbelieving snort from the girl followed his words, causing Grimmjow to change his demeanor completely. He leaned forwards with forearms resting on his knees, hands clasped together. He was still smiling but it was nearing the one he had smiled the other day when they were fighting.

Kazune kicked the pile of clothes he had thrown at her, hitting him in the face as he had done to her. "Well the guess what." She paused and then with a sarcastic smile said, "I refuse to wear these damn clothes." She outright challenged him. Kazune both doubted that he would do it and believed his words full heartedly at the same time.

There was a split second between the fabric being torn from his face and him disappearing from his place on the couch. In the second however she saw a smile on his face and an expression that very clearly said, 'I accept your challenge'.

Neither were willing to lose, both Kazune and Grimmjow being prideful beings set on teaching the other a lesson.

"You fuckin' refuse huh?" A voice asked, causing Kazune to whirl around just in time to narrowly avoid the hand reaching for her body, for the clothes that she refused to change out of. His fingertips grazed the sky blue and white plaid fabric he had been aiming for. It was close, closer than she would have liked and she'd have to be faster if she didn't want to be naked in a matter of moments.

Of course the girl would refuse. He should have seen it coming. But it wasn't as though Grimmjow was complaining. He didn't mind at all. In a way this was a fight, maybe it was over something stupid but being Grimmjow Jaegerjaques he was not going to lose. Not to a girl and not to Aizen's captive.

_This ought a be fun._ Her Hollow grumbled. Unlike most times it spoke it did not get a verbal response.

Kazune was far too busy fending off a gleeful blue haired Hollow thing. He kept using that Shunpo like technique to stay out of sight. The only times he was visible, was more than a blur of white and bright blue, was when he was making grabs for her clothes. They were all over the place, the vaulted ceilings a blessing for Kazune, as was his huge reiatsu and her sensory skills, which were the only reasons she wasn't butt naked as of yet.

"You need help undressin' yourself huh?" He sneered, laughing victoriously as he succeeded in grabbing one of the sleeves of the plaid over shirt she was wearing and tore one of its sleeves off. Their 'fight' was silent, the sharp, echoing sound of ripping fabric the only sound in the room they flashed around.

The only Kidos she could do were low level ones that didn't have much effect on the man assuming they managed to reach him. It was frustrating beyond belief. They took too much effort and it seemed that she didn't have enough spiritual energy to perform the very few high level Kidos that she had mastered over the past century.

The handful of fabric was discarded and not given a second though as he reached for the girl again to rip more of the clothes she refused to remove of her own free will. Only Grimmjow found that she had distanced herself from him. It seemed she had given up on swinging her sheath and was firing weak Kidos that hardly touched him at him left and right.

They danced around the room, above the couch, in the air. She was serious, dead serious, he was joking, enjoying himself but both were determined. They were both competitive, both of them wanted to come out on top, as the winner of the challenge. But there could only be one and so far it seemed that Grimmjow would be the victor.

All of the sudden though the brown haired girl lunged at him as he Sonido'ed towards her. There was no way to stop, or change directions. And Grimmjow was above diving to the side to avoid her; he could easily over power her if he needed to.

She knocked him back, out of the air and onto the ground. The girl was quick to wrap her hands around his throat, in a vice grip. He was surprised that she had that much grip strength and that her small hands were calloused instead of soft. The girl straddled his chest without even the slightest blush but then again the girl Gin had called Kazune looked pissed, though if it was because he was ruining her clothes or because he was trying to tear them from her body he didn't know. She had no one to blame but herself for either of the two.

Leaning in close, bringing them almost nose to nose, she growled, "Here's how this is going to work Mister." Her already tight grip tightened ever so slightly, bright orange eyes the color of the rising sun in the World of the Living narrowing when he moved his arms.

Grimmjow was preparing to attack the girl, to get himself out of this rather submissive position. He should be the one on top, that's where the kings always were, it's where they belonged in fact. Kings did not allow themselves to be on the bottom. The hold around his throat tightened even more when he opened his mouth.

Getting her off of him would not prove to be a difficult task, she was focusing all her energy on keeping him still but not down. In fact there were several things he could do to get her off, to reverse their roles.

But Grimmjow decided to humor the girl and teasingly asked, "Do you think you're in any position to be saying how things will go? After all you're the captive and I'm the captor. Obviously I'm the strong-"

At that she shook him, the back of his head slamming into the floor and then bouncing back up. The method efficiently shut the guy up. She did not need to hear him bragging about how he had managed to kidnap her, how he had managed to beat her. Kazune did not need salt ground viciously into the already sore wound.

"Currently, yes I am." She nodded as if to confirm her words. "Just answer my questions and I'll get dressed like you want me to."

Considering that she was already more or less half way undressed as it was it wasn't much of a deal on her part. He had somehow managed to get one boot off and had thrown it behind him, conveniently into the hallway via the hole the man under her had made using the black haired girl's body. He had gotten kicked in the face before the other could be forcefully removed so she had only one shoe on. The plaid over shirt had only one sleeve still intact as well some of the back. The single sleeve was clinging desperately to her arm and the back hanging by what seemed to be nothing but a thread. Of black skinny jeans, one leg had been ripped up to her knee while the other side was almost completely gone.

Grimmjow couldn't believe his ears. Not that he hadn't had fun it was just odd that she had chosen to refuse to get dressed herself only to ask a few questions. "All this for a few questions?" He threw his head back and laughed despite the tight grip around his throat. Much tighter and he'd have to execute one of the ways to get her off of him.

Her Kidos hadn't really touched him, let alone actually harmed him but that kick to the face that she had delivered when he was trying to pull off her shoes had left his nose bleeding heavily and maybe even broken.

The damn girl was certainly entertaining.

_Ask him what the hell he is._

"Yes, I know." She snapped irately. Kazune was dying to know what the man beneath her was, just as her Hollow was, though her Hollow wanted to fight him, she currently did not. It bothered her how the man didn't even look concerned when she was choking him, much tighter and he'd probably pass out. He was the first and would be the last to ever try to rip her clothes off. Kazune couldn't believe that he had actually kept his word, that his threat to take her clothes off for her wasn't empty.

And there she goes again talking to herself. He thought wondering what it was she was talking and what it was saying to her.

Not only was she entertaining but she was crazy as well. That was always a good combination.

_Well no one cares about who he is. Be careful not to imply you care about who the bastard is but instead what species he is._

"I know, I know." Kazune muttered to her Hollow.

"So who ya talkin' to?" The being beneath her, the being she was still straddling and strangling asked. He now had his hands behind his head and once again looked quite relaxed despite their position.

"I'm asking the questions." She snapped returning her focus to the man beneath her.

Airily he brushed her words off with the sighed, disbelieving words, "If you say so."

Once again she shook him, tightening her grasp again in case it wasn't tight enough already because it didn't seem to be bothering him at the very least. "What the hell are you?" Kazune asked. It wasn't often that she and her Hollow were on the same page, but this was one of the rare occurrences where they were. Neither cared about his name but instead of what he was because if her Hollow knew it would have told her already, saying that she was stupid to have forgotten.

"I am Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, Sexta Espada."

The girl removed one of her hands and lifted it up. Grimmjow anticipated her using her free hand to slap him for whatever her reasoning might be. But instead she made a fluttery gesture with it and said, "I said what, not who. I honestly couldn't give two shits about who you are, just like you don't care who it is I am."

Kazune found it odd that after her harsh words, the fact that she was still strangling the guy and had shot down his grand introduction that had been filled with so much pride, that he would smile up at her. There was no reason for it, no rational one at least.

Grimmjow found himself starting to like the girl on top of him. She seemed…different for the lack of better term. "Arrancar." He said, bluntly giving her the answer to the question that must have been eating away at her for her to decide to tackle him for an answer. When he got a blank look as a response he added, "That's what I am."

Arrancar.

Her mind repeated his answer, puzzling over how could she have not realized that sooner?! Stuipd! Stupid! Stupid! She cursed a few times, mentally beating herself up for her ignorance, for having forgotten about that possibility.

_Arrancar._ Her Hollow repeated as well. _In a way he's a lot like you isn't he? _It wasn't a question, not really.

"Did you start as a Shinigami?" There was no way he could have. The Vizard's were the ones that started out as Shinigami. Not only that but he seemed be to be more Hollow, he even had a fragment of a mask on the side of his face, none of the Vizards had that even though they had Hollow powers. His reiatsu was more Hollow than Shinigami.

Grimmjow made a face before fiercly spitting out the words, "Fuck no."

"Then you started as a Hollow?" That was just crazy. As crazy as a Shinigami gaining powers of a Hollow, yet here she was, a part of a group of Shinigamis that called themselves Vizards.

"What do you think?" Grimmjow sarcastically answered her question then decided that he was done answering questions, and done cooperating with the girl.

One minute Kazune was on top of the man, resisting the urge to face palm and then in a blur of white blue and black, she was no longer on top but instead flat on her back with her wrists pinned to the floor, gripped tightly in large hands that weren't about to let her up. He was fast, she hadn't even felt his body shift and the time it took for her to go from on top with hands wrapped around his throat to on her back was but that of the blind of her eye. Kazune was too stunned to struggle and even if she had struggled she wouldn't have succeeded in breaking free.

He leaned in close, just as she had and whispered almost threateningly, "Now get dressed before I finish the job for you."

She probably should have bit her tongue and said nothing given her position now on bottom and no longer in control. But before Kazune could think she snapped at him, almost on instinct. "You'd like that wouldn't you?"

Her answer was a sly smile that made her narrow her eyes. He would have not a single problem about finishing the job! Why was she not surprised? She couldn't do a single thing against him if he decided to rip off her clothes right now. There was no doubt in her mind that a single one of his hands could restrain both of hers while he finished what they had started.

"Well how do you expect me to get dressed from my place down here?" She questioned smugly.

Instantly he was off of her, the clothes once again being tossed at her face. However unlike last time she caught them before they could reach her face. "Get goin'." He commanded returning to the couch, in the same position as last time.

"Aren't you going to turn around, close your eyes or something?" She rather him turn his back or cover his eyes with one of the torn pieces of torn fabric.

"Am I supposed to?"

Am I supposed to?! Her thoughts echoed angrily. She was so tempted to stalk over to him and either give him a black eye or punch him in the crotch. It would serve him right for being so arrogant.

_Do it_. Her Hollow cheered. It wanted her to follow through and start a fight she couldn't win so that she'd have no choice but to put on the mask.

Kazune pinched the bridge of her nose, muttered the word no under her breath, sighed shortly and then addressed Grimmjow, "That would be ideal."

Leaning back and getting comfortable he shook his head. "Nah." He was still in that antagonistic mood and he wanted to see how the girl would react. "So what are you?" He asked as she grumbled something about him being impossible and turned her back to him after figuring out that the white clothes consisted of a skirt and a half shirt. Instead of treating what remained of her tops like they were still intact and taking them off the normal way Grimmjow watched her grab her shirts and in a fashion similar to what he had done to various parts of her outfit, ripped the cloth off her top half, leaving nothing but a creamy, near skin tone colored bra on her top.

She didn't bother with it because it wasn't salvageable; it wasn't wearable anymore so it didn't matter. That's the only reason she was so savage with her clothes. They were nearly gone anyway so why act like she was taking off an intact shirt or an over shirt that hadn't been shredded? She did the same thing to her pants and when she got to her last shoe she blindly launched it at him, using his reiatsu to locate him because she wasn't going to turn around and let him have a nice view. Even though what the pink eyed girl had said was true, she wasn't much. Kazune was trying as hard as she possibly could to ignore the man's eyes that were watching her every movement.

Shameless, he was absolutely shameless! Only after she had ripped off her clothes did she consider that the way she had just removed her clothes might have been a nice show, that he very well might have enjoyed the display.

For a second there Grimmjow had thought that she was just going to ignore him. Her tone was sharp and clipped but after a few beats she did answer his question. "Vizard."

Grimmjow was surprised that she actually answered him though he was quick to cover up the fact, even if her back was turned towards him. From his vantage point he could see a few pale scars crisscrossing their way across her back and around her arms and legs. He wondered if she had gotten them from fighting, though it was shameful to have scars on ones back, or if they were from something else. He didn't bother asking because to be frank he didn't care enough to do so.

Then under her breath she muttered, "Not that you know what that is." Her hands reached behind her back, searching for the clasp of the creamy bra, the top of the outfit having been put in her mouth after answering Grimmjow. Speaking around the cloth she 'kindly' made a 'request'. "Would you please stop acting as though you've never seen a woman change before."

She quickly put on the top that went down maybe an inch under her bust. The top itself was white but the little band of fabric under her bust was black. The thick straps fell off her shoulders and the neckline was squared. It wasn't too bad she supposed. It could have covered more, and could have been more of a t-shirt or something. It also could have been looser; it was a bit tight around the bust. But it wasn't as though she could wear her old clothes anymore.

"I could." He told her, still watching her. "Will you hurry up? I have things to do." Like that nap he had completely forgotten about between rescuing captives who had a sheath as a weapon, wrestling said captive and watching it undress. Grimmjow supposed he could always take it after the Espada meeting that was ever approaching.

Pulling on the bottom part of the white and black outfit she saw that it was a skirt that just barely reached her calves. From the looks of it the skirt wouldn't restrict movement, the main reason she despised dresses and long skirts. There were two slits up the front that created a rectangular piece that hung down the middle; the sides were an inch or two longer than the middle rectangular piece. Black lines outlined the middle section and a thick black sash nearly reached her bellybutton and hid the top of the skirt. She put on the black shoes in a matter of seconds hoping she wasn't giving him too good of a view.

Her legs were bare and would show when walking. Her shoulders were bare, her stomach, torso and most of her back was bare. In short Kazune felt exposed.

The final touch to her outfit however matched the black and white theme perfectly. It was simply the black sheath that had been lost sometime during their battle of keeping away and loosing clothing. The ties of the sheath were thankfully bright orange, like the hilt of her still missing zanpakuto. It was the only color now on her person.

Grimmjow expected her to turn around and ask something along the lines of 'how do I look?' because didn't girls care a bit too much about their appearance? But instead she grabbed her sheath, secured it to her waist.

"I have enjoyed the show but you know you could have changed in the bathroom." Grimmjow informed her a bit too late on purpose as he stood and went over to her side, covering the space in just a few strides. Standing beside her he realized how short she was. The top of her head just barely reached his chin. If he pulled her close enough he could have rested his chin on the top of her head.

Kazune mocked his earlier response with a smile. "I could have." Why hadn't she remembered the bathroom? That would have saved her a lot of trouble.

Taking a few steps forwards he said, "Keep up." Then looked over his shoulder and having the feeling that she wouldn't refuse his challenge, sneered, "That is if you can."

With that the two of them were gone, racing through the never ending halls of Las Noches at top speed. To the Arrancar in their way they were but a blur or blue, brown, black and white. A strong gust of wind followed in their wake.

She wasn't going to win, she was letting him stay just the slightest bit ahead of her so that she wouldn't go down the wrong hallway, take a wrong turn or don't turn when they needed to. The new surroundings were not familiar to and she'd hate to think of what might happen if she got lost.

He stopped at a pair of large doors, slapping his hand on its surface. As he did so he exclaimed, "I win!" He sounded proud, happy that he had beaten her in an unfamiliar, to her, place.

"Do I not get a few second handicap?" She asked barely out of breath, though she was more so than Grimmjow.

"What the hell for?" His pride would tell him that he had won by a mile. But truth be told she had only been slightly behind him the entire time, not thrown off when he turned down a hall at the very last possible second.

Judging from his tone that was a no. But she tried to get that handicap to claim that she had been the victor in the end anyway. "Not knowing this place." Kazune found it kind of odd that she was competing with a man who was considerably larger than her, the very man she had fought and lost to, the one who had kidnapped her and was responsible for being brought here to wherever the hell here was.

"No. I won and that's that." He determined not giving her what she wanted. Heading for his room from their place before the doors of the throne room, he gave her a backwards wave from over his shoulder saying, "Well I'm off." Two seconds later he had used that Shunpo like technique and was gone, leaving her alone in the hallway with limited choices.

She frowned, wondering why he would have gone through all that effort only to leave her before a set of very large doors. Was she expected to go through them?

There were only three options. One being the way they had come, the way Grimmjow had had gone off in and the large doors. Behind the doors she sensed three beings, those beings weren't more Hollow than Shinigami like the rest of the beings she had encountered thus far, but instead fully Shinigami. She didn't have to feel the reiatsus behind the door to know exactly who was on the other side of them.

Instantly her curiosity died, it stopped tempting her; she would not take just a quick look to see what was on the other side, not anymore. She no longer wanted to see what was behind the doors. Kazune's hands curled into fists, her short nails digging into her palms. Kazune sharply turned on her heel so that she was no longer facing the doors, so that she was was no longer about to enter the room that lay beyond. She was about to simply Shunpo away calmly, when a voice not belonging to that of her Hollow spoke as if having read her mind.

"You minds well come in Kazune. We can feel your reiatsu. I know you're out there."

Orange eyes were squeezed tightly shut and a curse slipped out as her body froze along with her blood. The heart in her chest had stopped beating and her hair standing on end at the painfully familiar voice of Sosuke Aizen.

* * *

**A/N:** So I had about 5000 or so words typed up, my computer went all wonky and shut down all of the sudden. So this is my second time typing everything. I was pissed but I hope it was still ok, that you still liked it. Well anyway I thought I'd update at least one of my stories before I left on vacation.

Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, and what I could do better. Please I beg you to tell me if I've gotten anyone OOC (I'll have to fix that right away) and how they were OOC. So the moral of this message is that reviews are welcome.


	3. The Meeting

**A/N:** So last chapter I promised to fix it up, to fix the mistakes and to edit it. Well I did and chapter 2 lengthened quite a bit. There are some changes (obviously) some things that were taken out and others that were added. You might want to go back and read it…tell me if there's any more mistakes. If you don't want to do that then I suppose you can just go ahead and continue on. There might have been something important added, I don't know.

* * *

Kazune turned and faced the door once again. Her heart hammered in her chest, trying to break free of the ribcage surrounding it and take flight. A nauseating feeling had taken over and she felt as though she were going to either faint or throw up.

Moving as slowly as possible she lifted her hand and placed it against the cool surface of the metallic door. Her palm rested against it but she did not push the large door open. Not yet. She was not ready to face what lie beyond but she did not have an option. Squeezing her eyes shut and sucking in a deep breath Kazune collected herself and then pushed the door open as she exhaled the deep breath she had taken.

When the door was open and she began walking towards what she'd prefer to be bolting from as fast as she could, Kazune was careful to keep her back straight, her posture rigid, chin up, and shoulders back. Her walk was slow and deliberate, her steps slow but long. There was only one way she was willing to present herself now. Despite the collar around her neck that kept her from using all of her reiryoku, despite her weak Kido skills and the lack of her zanpakuto Kazune was unwilling to show weakness, to have chinks in her armor. She had put on a mask that wasn't going to break, it wasn't going to slip and her true emotions weren't going to show.

As she advanced towards the three Shinigami Gin's laughter reverberated throughout the room before he spoke. "My my how you've changed Little One."

Orange eyes narrowed. "My my," She coolly mocked. "Still Aizen's lackey I see. Have you forgotten Matsumoto? I'm sure she misses you dearly." It was a low blow, or at least she hoped that bringing Rangiku into the conversation was a low blow for Gin.

_Now's your chance._ The hollow rushed, getting excited.

"Not now." She ground out, fists clenching at her sides. That was the only part of her expression and her body language that revealed a single thing.

"Who might you be speaking to Kazune?" The ring leader, Sosuke Aizen, asked with a smug smile on his face.

Gin looked no different; he was exactly as she remembered him to be. That smile was still on his face and his eyes were still closed. The same could not be said about Tosen, there were a few differences in his appearance. But the man she was walking towards, she could hardly recognize him. If she hadn't heard his voice she wouldn't have believed that it was Aizen she was approaching. He looked so different then from how she remembered. The glasses he had never really needed were gone, his hair was styled differently and the aura about him was completely different. He was hardly recognizable and no longer looked like the nice guy, the soft spoken teacher that so many shinigami and students loved. His time of playing the nice guy seemed to be over and he now seemed to be playing the leader. The sheepskin disguising the ferocious wolf had been shed and all that was left was a cunning and ambitious creature that would get what it wanted one way or another.

"Oh just my Hollow. You know, the one you're responsible for." Her tone didn't hide her emotions either. It was bitter and sarcastic, distaste ringing out loud and clear.

Aizen let out a small chuckle and shook his head, "Still bitter about that I see." It came as no surprise. Unlike most of the Vizards Kazune had not been a Captain or even Lieutenant. She had been a seated officer however that wasn't the reason behind her bitterness.

At those words she lost it. The mask she was so determined to keep on cracked and her anger flared. "I have every right to still be upset!" Her voice rose, her last word echoing around the otherwise empty room. Orange eyes flashed and her Hollow hissed for her to do something, to attack the man before her. Sosuke had done things that she was never going to get over. Being a Vizard, that wasn't too bad after you got used to it, it helped that they weren't alone. Being driven from the Soul Society, that was less bearable because she had friends there, people she cared for and missed. But there was one thing that she would never be able to forgive him for.

"Yes I suppose you do. However you know that you were never a part of my plan, just like Yuna wasn't." Aizen paused as her controlled reiatsu spiked angrily at the mention of Yuna. So that's what she was still sore about. He smiled again and continued speaking, confident that Kazune wouldn't raise a finger against him. It wouldn't matter to him if she did, she would merely have to face the consequences of her actions and Aizen was sure that Kazune didn't not want to find out what those consequences were. "But in the end it all worked out did it not?"

Her reiatsu spiked but she reined it in with what appeared to be no effort at all. Her clenched fists were shaking at her sides and her eyes were filled with hatred and anger. She did not verbally answer, figuring it was wiser to hold her tongue then to use it to lash out as she had at Gin. Already he had pushed her buttons, opened old wounds that she thought had healed. He seemed to be doing it without trying, as though it came to him secondhand.

"I assume you have … tamed… your Hollow. Am I correct?" If she hadn't tamed it then Kazune would not be standing here before him.

_Tamed my ass!_ It growled inside her head.

Both knew there had been no taming of Kazune's Hollow.

Her not was curt, her answer clipped, controlled and could have passed as that of Ulquiorra. "Yes." That's all she was going to give him.

It pissed her off that he sat up there all high and mighty even before her. It made her mad that he would dare look down at her as though she was just another one of his subjects. Though she supposed that she meant nothing more to him than one of his subordinates.

"It seems I have upset you." Aizen said rising from his white throne. It was just like everything else she had seen so far. The only things with color, as far as Kazune had seen, were the people and their hair. Even the two shinigami beside him matched the theme of black and white. "Forgive me."

His apology was not sincere and even if it had been she could not have accepted it, it would have meant nothing to her. Petty, generic words would not be enough to make Kazune consider forgiving Sosuke.

She was raging but the only thing she had done was raise her voice, and even then she had not been shouting compared to the volumes she could reach. It seemed as though Kazune had learned great control over the past hundred years. The control she had now was something he had been unable to teach her in the Soul Society.

As he descended from his throne he asked in a slightly sneering manner, "Is there something you're missing?"

Her orange eyes did not leave his brown ones even as he began lowering himself to her level. Even when he reached the floor she was standing on he would still look down on her. "My zanpakuto. Where is it?" Kazune knew he had it, why else would he be asking her if she was 'missing something'?

"Don't fret. I've got it right here." He said holding up something. The neon orange hilt matched the ribbon around her waist that kept her sheath at her side. It had been placed in a black sheath similar to the empty one she had used as a weapon earlier that day and Sosuke's fingers were wrapped around its middle. He wasn't holding it out to her and he wasn't offering it either. He was simply showing her that Naitomeashinga was in his possession. "And I will return it to you under one condition."

"What?" She ground out, not daring to agree to a damn thing until she knew that it was his one condition was.

"Show me Bankai." Aizen was confident that Kazune had achieved Bankai since the last time he had seen her.

However her strong, fearless demeanor flaked off to reveal what was under it. Shame was revealed as she averted her eyes ducked her head. Brown hair a few shades darker than caramel was used as a veil to cover her face. "I cannot. I'm sorry to disappoint you. I'm sure you thought one hundred years and she'll have it down." Her voice had started out meek and quiet and got quieter and quieter as she spoke. After the last word she paused and shook her head then muttered in a voice she made cracked, "But I don't."

Liar! Her thoughts screamed. The act was painful. Around Sosuke the last thing she wanted to appear was weak but that's exactly how she was forcing herself to act.

While she half expected him to call her out on her lie she also expected for him to use that calm but disappointed voice, the one that was always a million times worse than screaming and yelling could ever be.

Neither came.

His tone was neutral, nonchalant as though he didn't care one way or another. "I see." He paused a beat to conceal the surprise he felt. Surrounded by Captains and Lieutenants for the past century and they hadn't helped her achieve Bankai yet? A frown pulled down the corners of his mouth as he puzzled over why she hadn't yet achieved Bankai. "At least you've tamed your Hollow." At least she had succeeded in doing that.

Kazune thrust out her hand, palm facing the ceiling, empty and ready. Sharply she made a single demand. "Naitomeashinga." That's all she wanted.

A smile returned to Sosuke's face before he brushed past her saying, "I think I'll keep it until later. Now come, we have a few things to accomplish."

* * *

Grimmjow was the last one to enter the meeting room. Stark was asleep, using his folded arms as a pillow. Ulquiorra was sitting, back straight and no expression on his face per usual. Halibel kept to herself, quietly waiting with a bored expression. Szayel seemed to be lost in thought while waiting for Aizen to show up. Yammy wouldn't shut up and was arguing with Aaroniero and Zommari was silent as always, patiently waiting as a few others were.

"Late as always." Nnoitra sneered as Grimmjow pulled out the only empty chair, which just had to be across from Ulquiorra who didn't even look bored, and threw himself into it. Unlike Ulquiorra his posture was slouched and like everyone else he did not want to be here. He had better things to do, like that nap he hadn't yet had the chance to take thanks to the damn girl and Gin's 'request'.

"Shut the fuck up." He instantly growled. "Aizen's not here yet is he?" He might be later than the rest of the Espada but by no means was he late, not when Aizen hadn't yet taken his seat at the head of the table, the other two shinigami on either side.

Before Nnoitra could answer, could spit something back, or try to goad him into a fight after the meeting the doors of the room opened and in walked three Shinigami and the reason he had been late according to Nnoitra.

The girl looked different now then she had not ten minutes ago. Unfortunately he couldn't quite place why she seemed different. She was wearing the clothes he had forced her into; her hair was the same, as were her eyes. Appearance wise she was no different yet there was something not the same about her as before. It was starting to bother him whatever it was.

Grimmjow wasn't the only one to notice the difference. Ulquiorra was able to spot and identify the difference in the girl immediately. She stood tall; the air about her had changed. Her head was held high and like Aizen-sama she looked down on them as her orange eyes slowly and lazily swept across the room and the people in it.

Across the table from his Grimmjow and a few others bristled, most likely due to the air about the girl standing next to Aizen-sama, who took as seat and began the meeting as though she were not there. Both of the Shinigami sat, one on both his left and right side. There was no room for the girl at the table but she didn't seem bothered by it. She simply stood at the head of the table next to Aizen-same without a single word.

She waited patiently for the meeting to be concluded. She didn't seem as though she would be the patient type if their previous meetings were anything to go by.

Kazune stood there, ignoring Sosuke after she realized that she couldn't care less about the battle plans, misconducts of whoever and whatever else it was he was rattling on about. Her name wasn't being mentioned and so therefore she had no real reason to listen. He did not mention the Vizards or anything that might be linked to them, like intruders or unwelcomed surprises. So instead, to pass the time she slowly studied the people around the table. They were all Hollow-Shinigami beings, meaning they were all Arrancars. The blue haired guy was there as was the black haired male. The two girls weren't there, in fact there was only one female at the table, and that's who she started with. The collar of the woman's shirt covered her nose and reminded her a bit of a gasmask.

Her zanpakuto was at Aizen's side, leaning against the table. It wasn't strapped down or being held. It wasn't lying across anybody's lap and it wasn't even being watched. Naitomeashinga was unprotected, unguarded and hers for the taking if she weren't so busy studying the ten Arrancar that were seated around the table.

_Steal it already!_ The Hollow demanded for what felt like the millionth time in only a matter of minutes. 'Take the damn sword already!' Was what it had first demanded when her zanpakuto had first caught her eye not long after she realized that she did not need to pay rapt attention to what Sosuke was saying.

_Are you ignorant enough to dare think that he's not expecting me to do something like that?!_ Kazune mentally growled at her Hollow. She dare not speak to it aloud again in front of Sosuke, she had already made that mistake once and was unwilling to make it again. So she settled on doing what the rest of the Vizards did when speaking to their Hollows.

Sosuke Aizen was not a stupid man. He was foolish or stupid enough to have not taken many precautions against her attacking him or trying to get her zanpakuto back. There was no way he hadn't prepared for an attack from either her Hollow or herself.

_He's just yappin' about no one cares what. They're all just about asleep and he's not paying us a lick of attention. Take your zanpakuto and slaughter them all!_ There was a beat of silence, where Kazune was about to respond to the Hollow but it beat her to speaking and continued. _Just leave Grimmjow for me. I want you to use my power when you kill him. No Shinigami shirt or tricks._

_You're fucking crazy!_ Kazune shouted unable to believe that her Hollow had said that. Yet she should not have been surprised. Her Hollow liked fighting; it liked violence and a good challenge.

Inside her head the Hollow cackled wildly. _Yes. And I'm a part of you. What does that say about yourself Shinigami?_ It sneered the last bit at her.

The Arrancar around the table were all just about asleep and seemingly unaware of the threat standing next to their leader. Despite that she knew that once a commotion was caused, after one or two of them had been purified her time was up, she would no longer stand a chance. Kazune valued her life enough to not give into her Hollow's desires. She did not wish to die here in this world of black and white.

_As if I need a reminder_. Kazune grumbled, not responding to the second half of what the Hollow had said to her.

Seeing that he had lost the Espada's attention Aizen wrapped up the meeting. "However, before I allow you to be dismissed there is one more thing that needs to be addressed." He said.

No one dared to let out a groan as they paused, seconds from getting up and leaving the room. No one voiced their opinions on having to stay in the meeting longer than they needed to. Most of the Espada however did perk up; their full attention was given to Aizen now that the end was in sight. After this one last thing they could go.

Kazune had stayed by his side for the duration of the meeting, something that admittedly surprised Aizen. She was well composed with an expressionless face and blank body language. Of course that was the surface, the shell around the egg. Aizen know how to read Kazune well and she had long since gotten impatient and wanted to be anywhere but standing by his side. But both of those things were to be expected, he wasn't exactly on her good side. Before the Espada, as she had before him, she stood tall and proud. Confidence radiated off of her and she had not yet embarrassed herself by trying to retrieve her zanpakuto, which he had deliberately put within both her sight and reach.

"Are you goin' to keep us waiting all day or what?" Grimmjow destroyed the silence that had fallen over the meeting room and its occupants.

At his impatient outburst Gin sniggered and Tosen glared at the Espada.

"Patience." Aizen calmly said unfazed by the Sexta Espada's impatient and rude outburst. He was surprised that a few others hadn't said something as well.

Once the blue haired Espada's unintelligible mutterings were done with he glared at the girl at Aizen's side and snapped, "I thought this was an Espada meeting. The fuck she doin' here?" He pointed at the girl, ignoring the sharp look from Ulquiorra and the glare from Tosen. The girl was not an Espada, she was not an Arrancar, she had very plainly told him that he was a Vizard, whatever the hell that was. She had no place in this meeting, no right to be looking down on them like Aizen did.

Kazune opened her mouth to shoot a snappy retort back at the man, only for Sosuke to let out a laugh, cutting off her reply before it could fly off the tip of her tongue. Glaring she steeled for crossing her arms, discretely giving the blue haired man the finger and backing down with a smirk.

When Grimmjow saw her smug smirk he nearly leapt across the table at the girl. The only thing that stopped him from doing so was Aizen, who was giving him this 'lift a finger and you'll regret it' look.

"This here is my beloved daughter Kazune." At the word beloved there were two simultaneous snorts. Aizen paused and looked around the table, gauging his Espada's reactions.

Grimmjow could not believe his ears. Aizen's fucking daughter! Aizen had knocked up some woman and produced the bitch standing next to him?!

Shit!

That changed everything! He was so screwed if she tattled on him. Tosen was already looking for a reason to get rid of him and with his time spent with the girl there was probably about a million reasons for Tosen to get his way. The bitch had better not hide behind Aizen or expect him to protect her or anything like that. A growled curse slipped from Grimmjow's mouth.

"Is there a problem Grimmjow?" Aizen asked. With that question everyone's attention turned towards him. Nnoitra was sneering at him and everyone else just wanted to see what he'd say or do.

Quickly he composed himself, already planning on ways to keep the stupid bitch quiet. The last thing he needed to worry about was getting in trouble with Aizen. "You never mentioned you had a daughter Aizen-sama." Grimmjow managed to keep his voice even.

"It was irreverent. Plus I wasn't aware that you were interested." Aizen smoothly replied despite Grimmow's sarcastic, sneering tone. When it became apparent that he wasn't going to reply, that no one else was going to say anything he continued. "And I want you to treat her as you would myself."

He was sure Kazune was going to make it difficult for the Espada to do so but if he didn't say anything she wouldn't last long. Hueco Mundo was a world where it was the survival of the fittest and without her zanpakuto and a reiatsu limiter Kazune was far from fit, far from her top strength.

Grimmjow cursed yet again. She had Aizen's protection as well. Damn, that meant that the Shinigami were probably going to be keeping a close eye on here. There probably wasn't going to be many good chances to make sure she didn't snitch, to keep her quiet.

"I'm afraid I cannot let Kazune wander around by herself and I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to keep the best watch over her." Aizen paused and then asked, "Are there any volunteers or will I have to pick one of you to watch her?" Cold brown eyes swept across the table. Quite a few of the Espada were unfit to watch Kazune.

"Sosuke." When she spoke her voice was shaky but still controlled, her tone ice cold.

"Yes Kazune?" He asked, already knowing where this was going.

No honorifics. No formalities. No last name. And most importantly no respect. The Espada were shocked, some more so than others, some more obvious than others. More than anything else Grimmjow was jealous of the way she had addressed Aizen. Aizen made no move to correct or reprimand her, neither did Tosen or Gin, as they would have had he had the balls to address Aizen using his first name.

"I do not need one of your precious Espada to babysit me." When she said the words precious Espada they were sneered with distaste, as though she couldn't stand having the words put together in her mouth, as if they left a behind a bad taste. "And what the hell is this?" She asked uncrossing her arms and hooking her index finger around the black thing around her neck.

"Merely a precaution." Aizen folded his hands together on top of the table. He was still waiting for volunteers even though it would be best if he were to choose who her guardian might be.

"For what?" she spat venomously. Her reiatsu spiked and the cool control she had kept for nearly an hour began to melt away. The mask began chipping and it was beginning to slip. But she did not notice until the words,

_Steady Kazune. Don't lose it, not here at least._ It wasn't her pride that was talking but instead her Hollow.

"Would you prefer to choose your guardian?" Aizen asked as though he were asking a child a question, not a grown woman who was a few hundred years old.

Kazune instantly noticed how he had avoided her question about the collar the prevented fast reiryoku restoration and the usage of the few high level Kidos she could execute flawlessly. It also limited her sensory range. Had she had her usual range she would have felt Sosuke's reiatsu upon waking, she wouldn't have raced the blue haired Arrancar to her doom but instead had ran to opposite direction. If she had been able to sense properly she'd have donned the mask of her Hollow and gotten the hell out of the room, out of wherever it was she was. She would have not let curiosity get the best of here.

_A bit late now._ The Hollow sneered bitterly, having heard her last thought.

"Are these my only options?" As strong as they all were she did not like the looks of them nor the feel of most of their reiatsus. They seemed to be just as psychotic, if not more so, than the blue haired man named Grimmjow. And all she had witnessed them do so far was sit and listen to Sosuke talk on and on.

At her question several of them shifted their attention from Aizen to her. They were not pleased with her question, maybe even very offended by it.

He did not answer her question. It was obvious that she did not like the choices before her, that she was not going to cooperate with him, so he only had one option. "I see that there are no volunteers." Just as well, he had made his decision. "Halibel, from now on Kazune is your charge. Make sure she eats properly and that she does not fight anyone." Brown eyes pointedly shot a look at Grimmjow before fixing the rest of the Espada with the same look.

The blonde haired woman nodded once saying, "I understand."

Aizen smiled as Kazune did the exact opposite. She scowled at both the blonde and Sosuke.

"Good. Return in an hour. You are dismissed my dear Espada." And that was that. The meeting was over and they were free to go.

The sound of scraping chairs, relieved mutterings, shuffling of feet and the rustling of clothes filled the room. In the sudden flurry of rushed movements and moving bodies Kazune saw her opportunity. She grabbed her zanpakuto and Shunpo'ed towards the door. She wanted nothing more to do with Sosuke Aizen. Having seen him again was enough for her.

Unfortunately before she made it out of the door her body froze and refused to move any farther. No amount of effort or mentally yelling at herself or her Hollow cursing made her right foot continue its path to land in front of her left foot. The only thing that could move where her eyes and from what she could see there was a red film that covered her like a second skin. One glance at it and she knew exactly what had happened, why she couldn't move.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks folk for reading this. :) i hope you've enjoyed the first few chapters.

Please tell me if anyone is OOC (I will fix that right away). Tell me how you think they might have reacted/what they might have said instead.

Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, how I can improve because I'm trying with this fic to improve my writing. So your suggestions will not be taken lightly and I'll try my hardest to listen to them and apply them to the fic and my writing.

Or just leave a review, like the people who have already done so. Thanks guys/girls for your reviews, faves and views.


	4. Perfection

Dammit! She mentally cursed. Caught in a level nine Kido. She had forgotten that Sosuke had been a captain, so of course he was fast. Not only was he a captain but he had betrayed the Soul Society, that was no easy feat and he had escaped into wherever it was they had brought her.

"I was wondering when you'd try to escape." Aizen purred his chair scraping away from the table before he rose to his feet. "I must praise you for your timing. It was impeccable. However you were just a bit on the slow side even though you managed to snag your zanpakuto on the way out." There was a heartbeat of a pause before he cocked his head slightly to the side and then asked, "Have you not been training daily?" The tone of his last question was condescending, slightly scolding even and she did not like it at all. But at the moment she couldn't narrow her eyes even though that was the only part that could move, that the Kido did not cover and restrict.

Here it comes. She thought with a roll of her eyes, the only thing she could move. Her jaw wouldn't unhinge itself so she could talk. It was tightly clenched with set determination to get out before Sosuke caught her. Obviously that hadn't worked so well. It was a shame that the binding Kido hadn't missed her and had paralyzed someone else, one of the Espada's, maybe that one with the eye patch; he had a particularly nasty reiatsu.

"I think the answer is quite obvious. We have much to talk about before Halibel returns."

Such as?! Her thoughts growled at him. In her mind there was nothing to talk about. She had no reason; no want to talk to him. In fact she was still sore about what happened one hundred years ago. But she couldn't help it; it was only natural for her to still be upset.

"Such as your incompetent Kido and why you haven't mastered Bankai as of yet. If you had spent the past century training as hard as you used to in the Soul Society then there is no way you would not have improved and mastered Bankai." He shook his head, as if the thought saddened him, and then continued on. "I must admit that I'm quite disappointed in you. You've had an entire century to improve, yet I saw no results during your encounter with Ulquiorra and Grimmjow. Even now you're not much faster." As Aizen spoke he walked towards the door that Kazune had made it half way out of. Once he was done with that part of the lecture he had grabbed her under her arms, moved her back into the room and then closed the door.

From his place at the right side of Aizen's usual seat at the head of the table Gin sniggered while Tosen sat there saying nothing, with a blank expression on his face.

Thankful for the movement of her eyes Kazune rolled them and did so hard.

This again?

She wanted to laugh. It was just like when she was in the academy. Any score less than perfect and they'd have this 'talk' where she'd be asked why she had scored less than perfect. It was also this way when she landed a position as a seated officer instead of a Captain upon graduating. And when she did not kill to become Captain they also had this conversation.

Of course being such a nice and gentle guy those conversations; those tones and glares were only used at home, where no one would interrupt or overhear them.

Kazune had always wanted to scream that she wasn't perfect, that it wasn't possible or even natural, just like she wanted to do now. Instead of screaming her heart out, instead of saying a word she had always tried harder, trained longer, pushed herself past her limits. She had exhausted herself, trying to reach those impossible goals that had been set for her, the goals that were so far out of anyone's reach, the goal that she would never meet no matter how hard she tried. And she had tried with all of her might.

_You might suck royally when it comes to that Shinigami Kido but no improvement?!_ The voice inside her head bitterly muttered, arguing with what Sosuke had said._ Hell even I've seen it! _

_Shut up_. Kazune snapped the most spoken to her Hollow once again. _This does not involve you so do not involve yourself._

The Kido was released and instantly something rammed into the back of her knees. When she collapsed however a chair caught her flailing limbs, falling body and all before it was pushed up to the table. Now free, Kazune flexed her muscles, glad to have control and movement returned to her.

_Fine I'll let you have your father daughter time._ And with that the Hollow shut up, stubbornly closing its mouth and refusing to say anything else. Never again would it stick up for Kazune it promised itself.

"Well do you have anything to say for yourself?" Aizen was now pacing, it was less of a pace and more of a slow walk that repeated itself every time he spun on his heel and returned the way he had just come. His seat was taken, having been shoved under his daughter and pushed up to the head of the table.

"Nothing until these two leave." She growled glaring at the two of them. She had nothing to say for herself, nothing that she'd be willing to say to Sosuke at least, but she wanted his two goons out of the room. She did not want them hearing every god dammed thing he had to say to her. There was no need for an audience.

"Very well." Aizen nodded, surprisingly being agreeable. He was curious as to what she'd say when it was just the two of them in this room. "Tosen, Gin, if you would." He gestured to the door he had just closed.

Aizen supposed that he shouldn't have given Kazune a false sense of hope; it had been quite a cruel thing to do. Seconds later and she would have been in the process of losing herself within the labyrinth of corridors that was Las Noches.

They both rose to their feet and then, like the Espada had, only with less vigor, left the room. With the two Shinigami gone all that was left in the debriefing room was a displeased father and his not so happy daughter.

"Well?" He prodded. Aizen wanted an answer and an answer he would get. However, when she did not answer him he pressed on, unaffected, undeterred by her stubbornness, something he had grown unaccustomed to in Hueco Mundo. Seldom was anyone stubborn that did not have a death wish. "I left you with Hachigen, a very capable Kido master. He's quite patient and could teach anyone Kido. Have you learned nothing?"

Kazune laughed off Sosuke's harsh words and t rant as though it were nothing. With a shrug and a semi-apologetic smile she said, "Eh, sorry."

As her father had said, Hachi was quite a patient man, even with her. He, unlike certain brown haired Shinigami Ex-Captain's, praised her for the minuscule progress she had made instead of pressuring her to get better faster. At the rate she was learning and improving with Hachi she'd be a thousand or even three before she managed to master Kido.

"Kazune." He warned. He did not like her careless tone. Her lack of skill with Kido was an easy weakness to exploit. Ulquiorra had exploited the weakness exposed by Grimmjow the very first time they met, the first time they had fought.

"What?" She spat out the word. As far as she was concerned she had said nothing wrong, not yet at least. And she wasn't stupid enough to try and take on Sosuke Aizen. Even if she did not have the reiryoku drainer around her neck and was able to use her full power she would not be that foolish. If she were to decide to attack him she sure as hell would not do it when he was ready and had most likely planned for it.

Seeing that he was not getting anywhere with his current approach he changed tactics. "Why is it Yuna was so gifted but-"

"Don't." Kazune interrupted fiercely, orange eyes narrowing dangerously and fists clenching tightly in her lap. "You. Dare. Mention. Mom." Each word was ground out slowly as an attempt to keep her voice controlled.

Aizen could not help but grin at Kazune. It seemed he had managed to get somewhere, maybe not in the right direction but he had made a little progress. "Hit a nerve did I?"

She even looked like her mom. Her eyes were the same, narrowed dangerously in the same fashion that Yuna narrowed her orange eyes in battle. Kazune's hair was not quite the same but in a few ways it was similar, while Yuna's hair had been stick straight and a caramel color Kazune's was a shade somewhere between the two browns and while it was straighter than his it was not as much so as her mothers.

Their body types, face shapes and facial features were similar but despite the physical similarities however the two of them were quite different in personality.

Her reaction to his taunt was like a spell had been cast, as if she might have realized his ploy. She did not scream like a mad woman, she did not launch herself out of the chair they had seated her in, or even attempt to attack him. Instead Kazune regained her composure, expression, eyes and posture suddenly going blank, revealing nothing more than what she wanted seen. And at the moment she was letting him know that she was pissed, that bringing up Yuna was a step too far, that he had crossed her line.

Good girl.

It was never good to let the enemy know what one was thinking or even feeling. And even though she had already revealed some of what she was thinking and feeling, Kazune undoubtedly saw him as the enemy.

He thought with a smile before he spoke again. "And Bankai, were you not close to taming Naitomeashinga before?"

She nodded her head once, confirming his question. "Yes I was. But you know how having a Hollow goes." Her tone was sarcastic and bitter as though she just couldn't conceal that much as she airily waved her hand. "I've spent the better half of the last hundred years taming the Hollow you are responsible for."

_It was an agreement! I was not tamed dammit!_ The Hollow cursed deciding to open its mouth once again.

_I said stay out of this._ She dare not speak to the Hollow aloud, not around Sosuke. She had already made that mistake once and would not repeat it.

"That does not excuse you. It is not a valid excuse as much as you may wish for it to be. There is no reason…"

Kazune stopped listening at that. She could quote the man even though a lecture about achieving Bankai was actually a new one. Only when he required a response did she snap back to reality and give him something, no matter how little that something was.

Perfect.

That's what he wanted her to be. Perfect, a status she could never obtain. It had taken her a hundred plus years to realize that the goal she had strived to hard to reach wasn't just barely out of reach, that with a little more effort, with her all given that she could reach. Perfection, something the gods hadn't yet reaches, not even the gods of death. Perfection, something that the Vizards had more or less hammered into her mind, an impossibility that she didn't have to reach, to work for, but it was the one thing her father wanted her to be.

Perfect, perfection, both were things that she despised now.

_When will he stop?_ Wailed the Hollow only she could hear. She could just see the being covering its ears and trying to block out the voice that so adamantly questioned why she had been unable to master Bankai or Kido yet and compared her to her mother, a woman he had no right speaking of.

_No clue._ She responded. Sosuke could rant till his heart was content. He could rave until her ears fell off or his voice stopped working all together for all she cared. Kazune wasn't listening, not anymore at least.

"Kazune." Aizen irately snapped. Had anyone else been around he would have acted differently, he would have lectured her differently. He would have been calmer and rather relaxed in his manner of berating his daughter's lack of success.

"Yes Sosuke?" She asked pulling herself out of her thoughts with a smile that was sure to upset the man.

"I asked you a question."

"Oh. Well you know what; I have a question for you." The chair that she had been tilting back and trying to balance on slammed back to the floor as she straightened up and gave Sosuke a challenging look.

"Do you?" He asked showing the slightest bit of surprise pass over his features and mix in the tone of his voice. "Well then pray tell."

"What the fuck is this thing?" She tugged on the collar again like some did when a collar of a shirt was too tight around their throat. The only information he had given her was that it was a precaution. But that didn't tell her what it was, or what its purpose was. It didn't help that he had avoided this question earlier.

"Kazune." He scolded once again. "Such language is not proper for a woman such as yourself." He did not care of his Espada's cursed; some of them had quite foul mouths. He did not care if other Shinigami chose to curse. However, Aizen would not stand to have his daughter using such language when there were other, more intelligent words that could fit what she was trying to express.

"I do not particularly care at this exact moment." She growled narrowing her eyes. "What I do care about is the answer to my question."

"As I have already told you it is a mere precaution."

"What you didn't answer is what you're being caution about, why you're taking this precaution and putting a collar on me!" A collar! The only thing that was missing was a chain being grasped tightly in his hand, a line that would tether her here, not allowing her to escape this god awful place.

Why was he not surprised that's how Kazune viewed the limiter. In all reality it was for her own safety, if she couldn't use all of her reiryoku than she would not get into fights and ultimately that would save her a lot of pain and would give her time to train, to make up for lost time. "You would not accept my answer even I were to tell you the truth." If he told her it was for her safety she'd probably spit in his face and yell something to call out what she believed to be his bluff.

"Then lie to me." Kazune ground out ignoring the way he arched one of his eyebrows. She wanted an answer and even if Sosuke were to lie there'd be the smallest hint of truth mixed within it, buried deeply but eventually she'd be able to find it underneath all the bullshit he had spewed. It was like a complex code, and all she'd have to do was to decode the lie and figure out the truth he had inserted into it.

"I think I'll give you the truth this time." He doubted she'd be able to tell the difference between the two.

Again she rolled her eyes, mentally cursing Sosuke Aizen. Of all the times that he could lie to her he chose not to the one time she wouldn't mind. It was rather obvious why he wanted the collar that drained spiritual energy wrapped around her throat of all of the throats in Las Noches that it could be around.

His answer wasn't a lie per say, simply another side of the truth. The truth was never one dimensional after all. "You see I had expected for you to be much stronger than when I had last seen you. I had expected to need to take precautions in case you decided that you were going to wreak havoc with your power and abalities to get out of here. And of course I have brought you here for a specific reason so I cannot have you breaking out and running amok around Hueco Mundo so-"

"This was your quick fix. Just collar me like a dog and take out my claws." She spat the last words out with distaste. Like a dog she was, collared, her nails filed down until they were nearly harmless, she would be kept a close watch on and closed within a certain space. And she was supposed to simply accept this. She was not longer the wolf, free to roam with its pack, free to showcase its power to enemies when they arose to oppose her.

"Precisely. And though you don't like it, it's for your own safety."

Kazune had prepared herself for Sosuke's answer and even though it had her shaking with the effort to keep her emotions in check, to keep herself from lunging at him with outstretched hands, with the Zanpakuto still in her possession unsheathed and poised to sink into any vital part of Sosuke Aizen that she could reach.

But even then she couldn't keep the growl out of her voice when she spoke next, "When the hell did you ever concern yourself with my safety?"

"You know you should show a bit more appreciation for what I'm doing. If I weren't helping you the Espada's would have torn you apart by now. They would have devoured you with joy. And with your power in check you won't be as inclined to fight and will stay more out of trouble."

Kazune slammed her hands onto the table and slowly, with much control, rose to her feet. She was about to spit at Sosuke Aizen to show her disgust of him and his logic when there was a knock on the door that interrupted the action she had not yet committed.

There was a pause before a voice asked, "Shall I come back at a later time?" Halibel stood on the other side of the door. Never would she be disrespectful enough to barge in unlike a few of the other Espada. She had no place in what was taking place in the room behind the closed door and therefore she would stay out of it. However Aizen-sama had ordered her to return in an hour and that's what she had done. It had been an hour and so she had returned, punctual and respectful of the time he had set for her to be back.

Aizen let out a small chuckle and then turned from the door to look at Kazune, who was quick to tear her attention away from the door and the woman behind it and return it to him, glaring at him through narrowed orange eyes. "It seems our time is up. Maybe we'll continue this conversation a later time."

"I'd rather not." She'd rather see Sosuke as little as possible. And when she did see him she did not wish to be scolded like a small child who had done something wrong. She had done nothing wrong in her point of view.

He chuckled again, as though he found her response amusing. "No, you may take her." He said opening the door to reveal the single female Espada. She stood with her arms folded beneath her bust and the lower half of her face covered by the large collar of the long sleeved shirt so her expression was limited to her eyes though there wasn't much to be gleaned from them.

_An hour already?!_ Kazune thought with delight as she took a few steps and stepped out of the meeting room. She was surprised that the hour had passed so quickly, usually the moments dragged on and on when she was getting lectured.

_Already?! What the hell do you mean already? That was the worst two hours of my life!_ Of course the Hollow was including the time spent in the meeting and the hour after it.

Kazune couldn't help but smile a bit.

_I've endured worse._ Was her answer to her Hollow.

"Follow me." The woman said before turning on her heel and walking off. Kazune was thankful to be able to get away from Sosuke so she followed without question. Not only that but she wanted to get away before he realized that she still had her zanpakuto in hand and was not planning to give it up. Not willingly at least.

Once they were far enough away that she could not feel his reiatsu Kazune stopped and slid her zanpakuto into its sheath. The sheath did not weigh much when it was not laden with the weight of her sword. Even though it did not weigh much more, with Naitomeashinga in its proper place at her side, the feel of it bouncing against her leg was comforting as she began walking again, lightly jogging to catch up to the woman who had merely slowed her walk when she realized that Kazune had stopped.

As they continued walking, the woman in a few steps in front of her, Kazune found that the woman was not very talkative, taciturn even. At one point of time this wouldn't have bothered Kazune, she used to train alone all the time with only the sounds of her efforts to get stronger, to become perfect invading the silence. However, she had grown used to having someone constantly talking, noise constantly being heard whether it be that of the Vizards or of her Hollow. Pure silence almost bothered her now, the white room that had been her cell earlier that day having almost driven her crazy even though she had her Hollow.

"I imagine you wish for me to address you by your name."

Who knew, some people were peculiar about the way people addressed them as and maybe the woman was one of those people. Or maybe she wasn't. Kazune didn't know.

The woman nodded. "That is correct."

"Then may I ask what it is?" She remember Sosuke having said it before but she could not remember what exactly it was and she did not wish to insult the woman by not saying her name correctly, as she was sure she would butcher it upon trying to draw it from memory.

"Halibel. The Tres Espada."

Kazune nodded her head slowly and then said, "Kazune Aizen, captive and daughter of Sosuke Aizen."

Halibel found it odd how she said captive before daughter. It sounded as though she did not like being Aizen-sama's daughter. Kazune sounded as though she'd rather not be Kazune Aizen she noted but kept her observation to herself.

"I'm aware." And that was the end of their conversation.

Kazune did not want to make the woman mad with any smart or sharp comments she made simply because she wanted to stay on the good side of the person who was going to be 'taking care of' her from now on. Until Sosuke decided to release her, she had been clinging to that hope and still was no matter how slim the chances of that were, or until she managed to escpae, she was in Halibel's care and she'd rather not make it any worse than it already was.

And Halibel, she kept to herself because she did not wish to get close to Aizen-sama's daughter. There were many reasons that made her want to keep her distance. One, being that she did not know Aizen-sama's plans or his intentions, his reasoning for having brought Kazune to Las Noches. Surely it was not simply to see what kind of process she had made since he had last saw her.

"Can you Sonido?" She asked, her room was a long ways away and if they kept up at this pace it would take them a very long time to reach it, time she did not wish to spend making her way to her room. Prior to being placed in charge of Kazune she had told her Fraccion, Apacci, Mila Rose and Sung-Sun, to come to her room so that she could make sure they were doing alright.

"No." Kazune truthfully answered. "But I can Shunpo, which I've heard is the Shinigami version of your Sonido." She did not care if Sonido was the Hollow version of Shunpo or if Shunpo was the Shinigami version of the Sonido technique. She could do either and keep up with Grimmjow so she was confident that she could keep up with this woman.

"Good. Then keep up." And with that the woman disappeared from sight.

She was surprised that the girl managed to stay hot on her heels all the way to her quarters, which was on the other side of Las Noches in the very highest of the few towers of the palace. When they entered they stopped and Kazune got a good look at where she'd be staying until she was either let out or until she had found a way out.

Sosuke was mistaken if he dare thought for the briefest of seconds that she would sit idle and twiddle her thumbs as she waited to be saved. The only reason she had sat still earlier was because she had been ignorant of whose clutches she was in, who her captor was and what they wanted with her. And even though she didn't know his intentions she did not care what they were, they would be nothing good in the end, nothing that would benefit her at least.

The woman had just one round room with a few doors along the walls. One door was opened to reveal what looked like a bathroom, the other was closed, a closet maybe? Another one of the doors was glass with sheer blue curtains covering it, casting a rectangle of blue into the floor. Beyond those doors was a balcony and from what she could see a table and a few chairs. From the looks of the sky, it was nighttime, just as it had been when she had encountered the two Arrancar for the very first time.

There was a huge bed at the head of her large and open room. It was grand in size, larger than a king sized bed, the comforter and the sheets were both a deep ocean blue. There were other objects of color thrown about the room, all of which were hungrily taken in by her eyes that had been drowning in the black and white that swarmed her sight no matter where she looked. The sheets, the comforter and the curtains all matched the rug in the middle of the white stone floor.

Unlike what she had already seen of this god forsaken place the white of the room looked beautiful instead of overwhelming and oppressive. Kazune was thankful that this woman had color in her room; color other than the yellow and the tan of woman.

In the room there was also a couch, this one was black and leather unlike the white cloth one in the room she did not wish to ever return to. There was a coffee table in front of the couch and the section of the rounded wall between the balcony door and the closet door was devoted to a towering bookshelf. On that shelf was more than just books, there were also a multitude of trophies that she had picked up from past victories over the years.

Other than that there wasn't much to the room.

"You know I never thought I'd see color in this place." Kazune murmured more to herself than to Halibel.

"It's from the World of the Living."

Kazune nodded. "It's a neat place." The statement was almost out of place but at the words 'World of the Living' she had teleported to another place, she was no longer standing in a room, behind held captive. Instead she was wondering about her fellow Vizards, wondering what they were up to, how they were doing and if they were upset or concerned or at the very worse happy about her disappearance. Kensei was probably happy, they were not the best of friends. And Shinji and Hiyori were most likely too busy fighting to notice. The only ones who might notice were Hachi, Lisa and maybe Love and Rose…

Before Halibel was given the chance to answer she watched Aizen-sama's daughter suddnely snap her attention towards the door as she drew her sword. The girl turned towards the door and was about to pounce on anything that came through it.

_Get ready, there are three of them._ Her Hollow murmured its voice a growl.

Kazune was tense and ready to attack, her thoughts focused and the thought of her friends but an afterthought, it was long gone. There were three beings racing towards them, most likely Sonido'ing up the spiral stairs they had raced up not minutes before. If the last time a group of Arrancar approached was anything to go by then she needed to be ready to attack, ready to show them that she was not weak.

"I know." She answered under her breath. Kazune did not care if Halibel thought that she was crazy, if she overheard her talking to her Hollow or not.

As she tensed, drew her sword and prepared to attack, from the corner of her eye she noticed that the blond haired woman had tensed as well. But her green eyes were trained on her, not the door that the owners of the three reiatsus would enter through. They were Arrancars, all three of them, a Shinigami-Hollow mix, and of course like everyone else she had encountered, besides the three Shinigami in the world of Hollows; they were more Hollow than they were Shinigami.

In a flurry of movement and noise three very different beings entered the room. Upon seeing them Kazune launched herself at them not about to give them the chance to know what hit them, she was not willing to lose this time. As she sped towards them she watched them turn their attention towards her, she saw their surprised expressions.

Kazune lifted her sword higher and zigzagged a bit to confuse them, to keep the three of them guessing until the moment of her attack. However, before she could reach the Arrancar, the blonde woman slid across her path, something charging in her hand.

The girls determined orange eyes widened as she saw the charging Cero. As she fired it the girl threw herself to the side, dodging the cero that wouldn't have hit her even if she had continued down her path. Halibel would not dare to hit Aizen-sama's daughter with a Cero. However the girl was fast and the fake Cero did not deter her for long. Halibel watched as the girl did a roll, come out of that and then take step towards her Fraccion before disappearing once again. But she knew her goal and she would not allow her to reach it.

So instead she barked an order at her Fraccion who instantly obeyed, dispersing throughout the room not seconds before the sword in the girls hand made a silver arc just where Sung-Sun had just been. Apacci was by her bed, Mila Rose standing above the couch and Sung-sun in the middle of the two but slightly farther back.

"What the hell?!" Apacci shouted before she charged a Bala at the tip of the horn that adorned what remained of her Hollow mask that ran back over the top of her head.

"Stand down." Halibel commanded before once again stepping in Kazune's way. She paid no attention to if Apacci had obeyed her or not, she was too focused on making sure that the girl did not reach a single one of her Fraccion.

_Kill them all!_ The Hollow laughed gleefully as the woman once again got in her way, as though she were protecting the Arrancar that had entered the room.

_Cut her down!_ It shouted.

Halibel could feel it, bloodlust that she had only felt around a select few. But this was different from those she usually felt bloodlust from; it was wavering and getting weaker and then stronger, as though the girl was having a fight with herself. Halibel took note of this and would either keep watching her closely in a manner that Aizen-sama did not request, or would ask her about it at a later time. But seeing her chance she unsheathed her zanpakuto and held its tip to the girl's throat. She would leave no marks unless she tried something extremely stupid.

Kazune took her attention off of the girls for the slightest of moments and when she regained her composure, once she managed to push her Hollow's pent up bloodlust, it's want for a fight, it's need to kill, which was no easy task, she instantly felt for the location of the three despite the anger that she could feel from her Hollow. One was to her right, another slightly above her and the third behind her. However there was a slight problem and it was the tip of the sword resting at the hollow of her throat. One wrong move and she'd regret it, it was clearly written in Halibel's eyes.

"Stand down." Halibel repeated, this time speaking to Kazune even though she had been addressing both Apacci and Kazune the first time she had said those words. "They are not a threat." She then informed the girl at sword point. And then to Apacci, Mila Rose and Sung-Sun said, "Kazune is not a threat either."

"Not a threat!?" Mila Rose exclaimed at the same time that Kazune scoffed, muttering the words disdainfully before muttering something about the limiter around her neck.

"Then what might she be?" Sung-Sun asked, her hand up to her face, the long sleeve flopping at the motion.

"My charge."

"Is that what you wanted to talk to us about?"

"No." She had called them to her room simply to make sure they were doing ok, that something hadn't happened.

As Halibel and the Arrancar with olive green hair, violet eyes and very long sleeves talked Kazune took her time to examine the others that had come into the room, the two that she hadn't managed to take out, hadn't managed to prove herself to.

There was a girl with skin darker than Halibel's and curly dark hair that went past her shoulders. There was a piece of bone that crowned her head and went straight back as well, a piece of bone also wrapped around the base of her neck. She was quite busty, wasn't afraid to show that fact with the half shirt that covered some of her bust but more of her stomach. To her hips clung a warrior like skirt and on her feet were black shoes that everyone, including her, wore.

And then there was another girl, she too wore the black and white shoes on her feet. This one however had jaw length black hair, the remnants of her Hollow mask covering her part and had a horn protruding from it. Her skin was pale as was the other girls but her eyes they were stunning. One was ice blue with blue surrounding it and the other was amber with red surrounding that eye. She wore a top with an upturned collar and a V shaped collar as well as gloves with thick black cuffs.

Whilst the three of them had strong reiatsus and a decent amount of reiryoku, but despite that they were almost nothing compared to the men that sat around the table for the meeting she had been forced to intrude upon. They were nothing compared to the strength of the woman before her, the one who had yet to lower her sword even though she was having a conversation with the three girls who had gathered ta her side.

_Nice going._ Her Hollow sneered surprising Kazune. Usually when she pissed it off it didn't talk to her for a long while as though it thought that the peace and quiet was a punishment.

It was not her fault that the Hollow could not control itself in the midst of an attack. It was not her fault that it had distracted her. Only once had her Hollow had used force to take over and never again would it happen. She would make sure that she was never that weak again. She would make sure that the Hollow would reveal itself, that the mask would cover her face only when she put it on. Then and only then. But this was not that time. She did not wish to reveal her trump card, not yet because in a place where the enemy knew everything else about her it was the only thing that would keep her alive in the end, that Kazune was sure of.

_I agree. Nice going._

_Don't you dare blame me._

_I will and I am._ Kazune argued. _If you had not tried to take over then we wouldn't have this problem._

_If you would stop denying this part of you then we wouldn't have this problem. _The Hollow growled viciously.

Kazune did not as her Hollow had said 'deny that part of her', she simply tried to rely on it as little as possible, tried to depend on it as infrequently as possible.

_I'll let you out when you need to be unleashed. _Only when she needed her Hollow would she use it and its power.

_That's not how this works. _It argued with her.

_According to you._

"Kazune can tell you if she wishes to." She entered the conversation when she heard her name being spoken.

"I am explaining what?" She asked despite the fact that her Hollow was still ranting and raving inside her head.

"Why you are my charge."

"Oh, that. Well you see it seems that I've caught Sosuke's attention. Don't ask me why because I haven't the foggiest." She held her hands up questioningly and shrugged her shoulders as if it did not matter.

Halibel was yet again surprised by the girl, that she did not say that she was Aizen-sama's daughter, that she did not even mention being related to the man. She also took note of that, trying to use her notes to make sense of what was between Kazune and her father.

Kazune did not want these Arrancar to treat her differently, something they were all sure to do if they knew her connection to their ruler. Hell even Grimmjow was probably going to treat her differently, the one who had torn off her clothes, who had been so willing to engage in battle with her. Never again would either of those things happen- though to be honest she did not wish for the man to rip her clothes off again.

The three of them exchanged looks, having never heard anyone address Aizen so informally, but before they could say anything about it the brown haired girl continued speaking,

"But enough about me. Who are you?"

Before anything could happen, before Apacci could lunge at Aizen-sama's daughter, before Sung-Sun could answer or before Mila rose would start yelling at her Halibel stepped in and said, "These are my Fraccion." She then pointed to each and named them. But she saw Kazune's blank face and explained what a Fraccion was in the first place.

"Then I apologize for attacking you. It seems that I subconsciously went off of my last few encounters with Arrancar and felt as though you three were a threat."

In a way she was unintentionally insulting the three of them, saying that she no longer viewed them as a threat. But that was not the case even though that's what it sounded like. Kazune would make the mistake of dropping her guard long enough to let someone draw their sword and then press its tip into her skin.

Halibel, seeing the girls getting angry at the comment, stepped in once again. "Do not make the mistake of thinking that they are not a threat. Do not provoke them."

"I was merely curious as to which Arrancar she's met that would put her on such edge." Cyan Sung-Sun said waving her hand, resulting in the long sleeve flapping about. While Mila Rose and Apacci might be provoked she was simply wondering who Kazune had a run in with because it couldn't have been anyone half decent to have brought out that kind of reaction.

"I met some really pale guy with green streaks and black hair…" She couldn't remember his name. But as she said the words 'green streaks' she brought her hands up to her eyes and pulled them down her cheeks to show where those streaks had been.

"He's strong but he's more creepy than anything." The black haired one shuddered at the thought of the 4th Espada. His silence was creepy as well as the way he talked, all in the same tone. His facial expression never changed and that was just the tip of the iceberg of things that made him creepy.

As usual Sung-Sun chided them. "I don't believe she was done."

"I wasn't. I also have encountered two girls, Menoly and Loly I believe."

"That's what ruined her!" The dark skinned one exclaimed slamming her fist into her palm with a serious expression on her face. Only that expression did not last long as her eyes filled with annoyance as she said, "God those two are annoying."

The way Loly was infatuated with Aizen and the way Menoly followed her around without question, it was infuriating. They had probably ruined the Shinigami girl over something stupid because they always got worked up over the stupidest of things, well Loly at least.

"Of course it was." The other two girls agreed.

"Oh!" Kazune snapped her fingers, her features lighting up as she remembered who she had yet to name. "And let's not forget Grimmjow." He would certainly be a hard one to forget, his bright blue hair, laugh like a maniac and his power; it would be hard not to remember him.

It was not her Fraccion that had wronged Kazune but instead fellow Espadas and a temperamental Numeros and her sidekick. There was no reason to have attacked a single one of them considering their reiatsus were quite different. Of course maybe she was overestimating the girls abilities and she was not good at sensing others reiatsus.

Halibel's voice held in it a stern note when she next spoke, "While that explains your behavior it does not excuse it."

Kazune nodded in understanding. She understood what the woman had said without having actually used words to say it. She would not make the mistake of attacking the three Arrancar women unless they were the ones to attack first. If that were the case then she'd have every right to fight back and make them understand that she took fights seriously.

Kazune was not like the 11th division, she did not revel in fights, fighting was not her way of life nor her purpose of living. On the other hand she was not like a majority of the 4th division who cowered when a fight presented itself to her. However she was more like the 11th division than the 4th because every once in a while she did enjoy a good fight, she did enjoy facing strong opponents and challenging herself because how else was one to get stronger if they simply faced weak opponents or set low goals?

"Well I sincerely apologize for attacking your Fraccion." Kazune bowed one hand over her chest and the other sticking to her side. "I also don not wish to intrude on whatever it was you had planned prior to being burdened with me. So if you'll excuse me." And with that she headed towards the door that she had entered the room at.

Halibel, seeing her direction swiftly slid between Kazune and the door, blocking her path for a third time. "If you insist upon going anywhere, go to the bathroom." The bathroom was a reasonable place to put Kazune, it was close, and even though she would not be in sight Halibel could still sense her reiatsu.

"Yes ma'am." Halibel, as well as Sung-Sun, Mila Rose and Apacci were all surprised that Kazune didn't put up a fight, that she didn't try to leave the room or make a big fuss. Instead she saluted Halibel and proudly walked into the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind her.

_Now's your chance! Let's get the hell out of here! _

The Hollow exclaimed as Kazune looked around the bathroom. It had only one door, the one behind her. There no windows for natural light, a feature she liked, to be had in the bathroom. Puffing out her cheeks Kazune huffily exhaled the air and silently pouted for a few seconds but knew that pouting would get nothing accomplished, would not magically create an exit for her to take to get the hell out of here.

Kazune was surprised to hear her Hollow speaking to her this soon. After all pushing it down and not allowing it to get its way always pissed it off.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" She growled at it. She was not going to sit idle, not anymore. She was not going to twiddle her thumbs, not when she knew whose hands she had fallen into. Curiosity had been the reason she had stayed and now that it was satisfied there was no longer a reason to stay.

_You can be._ It answered honestly and without any hesitation.

"Shut up and help me." She grumbled quietly so that incase the door and the walls were thin, no one would hear her talking to Hollow, which sounded as though she were simply talking to herself, or thinking aloud at times.

_Oh, so now you want my power?_

"Do I want it?" She asked then answered the rhetorical question. "No."

Kazune did not want its help. She did not want to draw on her Hollow's power. That was the reason she did not go around firing Cero's, her favorite Hollow technique, left and right. She was prideful, this she knew, like a powerful lion who was the king of the jungle.

The key word was want. One thing Kazune did know was when she needed to use her resources. And with the collar around her throat draining away excess reiryoku her resources were limited, which was unfortunate. Though it had only drained her Shinigami reiryoku there was no reason to think that it wouldn't do the same for her Hollow's reiryoku.

_Don't worry about something as trivial now. Just start blastin' away and face the consequences later._

To Kazune that sounded like the worst idea ever. However she didn't have many options, so irately she asked, "Impatient much?" As she held up her hands and aimed them at the wall opposite of the door, hopefully it was a wall that would reveal the star studded night sky that she had seen past the curtains in Halibel's room.

_Of course I am. There's no need to be here any long than we need to be._

"Which is why I'm doing something." She muttered the ball of orange energy charging in her hand.

So far so good.

A few more seconds and they would be nowhere in sight, a hole in the wall the only thing to give them away.

* * *

"So that's your newest assignment?" Mila Rose asked turning her back to the bathroom door. The girl wouldn't have the nerve to burst out of there swinging as she had when they had entered Halibel's quarters.

The blonde woman nodded. "Yes."

"Why you?" Apacci realized that her question sounded as though she didn't think that Halibel could do her new job well and quickly added, "I mean babysitting for heaven sake!" She was angry that the Tres Espada had been reduced to nothing but a Shinigami's babysitter. Her voice was easily a shout, one that the girl in the bathroom could probably hear.

"It's an insult!" Mila Rose exclaimed heatedly.

"It's an honor." Halibel snapped, her voice echoing around the now quiet room. Her tone as well as her words had shocked the three of them into silence. Then in a quieter, softer voice she said, "It's an honor that Aizen-sama would trust me with his…"

She trailed off because Kazune had been given the chance to tell them who she was and she hadn't taken advantage of it, in fact she hadn't even hinted at it. So obviously she did not wish for her Fraccion to know and it was not her place to tell them. It was not her secret to tell.

However all three of her Fraccion caught the hesitation and in the small pause interjected in unison, "She's Aizen-sama's what?" different answers flashed behind their eyes but they waited for Halibel's answer, some more patiently than others.

"Captive. She's not here by choice and she most likely won't stay here by choice either."

No sooner had Halibel gotten those words out there was a blood curdling scream that interrupted their conversation, pierced the air and then as suddenly as it had sounded was cut off.

* * *

**A/N:** Well there's the 4th chapter. I never really know what to say in these things... -_-* sorry.

Thanks for your guy's support. it means a whole bunch to me.

Please tell me if anyone is OOC (I will fix that right away). And if you think they are OOC then tell me how you think they might have reacted/what they might have said instead.

Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, how I can improve because I'm trying with this fic to improve my writing. So your suggestions will not be taken lightly and I'll try my hardest to listen to them and apply them to the fic and my writing.

Or just leave a review, like the people who have already done so. Thanks guys/girls for your reviews, faves and views.


	5. The Cat and the Cannary

Kazune lay on the cold bathroom floor, her mind numb, unsure of what exactly had just happened. She remembered going into the bathroom, closing the door and then trying to blast out of it using her Hollow's power and a Cero. But that was all. She couldn't remember how she had ended up on the steadily warming floor. And she couldn't remember what had caused such intense pain. It was like there was a current of electricity coursing through her body, but maybe that was just her imagination, she wasn't too sure.

The familiar feeling of a conscious that was fading and fast had already taken over, only slightly numbing the feeling of electricity in her veins.

Her body, it was burning. Her breath, it was shallow and quick. Her Hollow, it was silent. And the collar felt as though it was the source of everything. Her fading mind tried to figure out if it was the reason that there was no hole in the wall, if it were to blame for her decent to the floor, if it was the reason that she was in the not so slow process of blacking out.

With her last few seconds of consciousness she used what she could summon of her energy and forced her very eager, very excited Hollow down. Even though it was silent, that did not mean that it had been zapped of its energy, that it still had its power and its ability to take over using force. Right now she was vulnerable. The wound was and open for the virus to infect her, for it to spread and take over. There was little chance that the Hollow would simply let her pass out peacefully, that it would not try and overwhelm her unconscious body and then rise, it did not mean that it would not take advantage of her current state.

The last thing she heard before she was fully dragged under was the sound of the door slamming open.

"Oh no." Sung-Sun murmured bringing her hand up to her face, her long sleeve swaying with the movement, folded over her hand and hiding it from sight. One moment Halibel was standing there, talking to them, and the next she had disappeared from sight, even though they knew where she was going. "That cannot be good."

"Of course that wasn't good!" Apacci shouted as Halibel emerged from the bathroom with the Shinigami girl's limp body in her arms. "She just killed herself! Think about what Aizen-sama's gonna do to her!"

"I'll be fine." Halibel offered the clipped words, that were meant to be comforting, before she Sonido'ed out of the room. The first place she went, without really thinking about, without reaching out and consciously searching for Aizen-sama's reiatsu, was the throne room. However it was empty, not a soul was in sight, not even the soul she was searching for. So next, again without thought, she went to the meeting room, only to find that it too was empty.

Halibel let out a quiet grumble of fustruation. The one time she needed to find the man and she couldn't. Why couldn't she find Aizen-sama? She didn't know what she was supposed to do, or what had even happened. All she knew was that the wall of her bathroom was…singed, for lack of better word, and her charge was quite possibly dead, unconscious at the very least.

When Halibel sensed Gin down the hallway she slowed to a fast walk, approaching the Shinigami in a blaze of calm, controlled ire and wonder that was only evident in her powerful strides and only slightly visible in her troubled green eyes.

Once close enough to not have to shout she stopped and asked, "Might you know where Aizen-sama is?" She did not know what was wrong but she was not asking anyone other than Aizen. It wasn't likely that anyone else would have the answers she was seeking.

He stopped, not feet away, having prepared to brush past the Tres Espada, when her voice rang out. They were alone in the long white hallway, no one else in sight here as well.

Instead of answering her, the silver haired Shinigami laughed and took a step closer. As he did so he cocked his head to the side, ever so slightly cracking open his eyes. "Tried to escape didn't you Little One?" he asked reaching out and tucking a strand of her brown hair behind her ear in almost a loving manner. Then he tsked a few times, shaking his head. "But if you want to succeed yer gunna have to try a lot harder. After all yer gunna to have to be smarter than the man yer tryin'to escape." Gin then straightened up, flashed a smile at Halibel and said, "She'll be fine."

Escaping Aizen was something Gin would just take absolute delight in seeing. He'd love to watch as she succeeded, he'd love to see the way Aizen would react and how he'd get her back. And that thought made his smile stretch even wider across his face.

"How do you know?" Halibel asked. She did not need to be wasting her time talking to Gin; she had simply asked where Aizen was. Could the Shinigami not answer that single question and allow her to be on her way? She had no intention, no need, to stand here and keep talking to him when she should be finding Aizen-sama. It's not like he'd have the answers anyway.

"Because Aizen knows Kazune well and anticipated a great number of scenarios," He then glanced down at the girl in her arms and pointedly said with a chuckle, "her possible escape attempts and so much more." He then looked back up at Halibel, still smiling that smile that was bordering very creepy.

From what he had seen of Kazune she had not changed much in the past hundred years. And for Aizen that was good, very good indeed. Such was not the case for Kazune.

If Gin knew of the things that Aizen-sama had anticipated then maybe, just maybe the silver haired shinigami would have the answers she needed. Maybe he knew more than he was letting on, which wouldn't come as a surprise to Halibel so she calmly asked, "What happened to her?" She didn't ask if he knew what had happened to the girl, just simply asked one of the more pressing questions on her mind.

"The limiter," Gin reached a bony hand towards Kazune, only to pause when Halibel shifted her body, and therefore the dead-to-the-world girl away from his outreaching hand. He looked up with a slight frown, a rare expression for the Shinigami, then with a smile broader than the one prior to the little frown, he continued reaching forwards and then hooked his bony index finger around the limiter. He then pulled his arm back, in turn pulling the limp girls upper body out of Halibel's arm. ", reacts differently to reiatsus."

In her arms the girl weighed almost nothing, as though she was holding a pillow filled with down, whose weight was reduced with Gin pulling half of her out of her arms. His words made sense, because her reiryoku seemed to be having a fight. This had been taking place since she barged into the bathroom but it hadn't been as obvious then.

One side was like nails scraping down a chalkboard, like shards of glass you did not want to get too close to. That side was wild and out of control, rearing its head like an angry beast, bearing its teeth and trying to overwhelm the other side. And said other side, that one was much more pleasant, it felt like walking barefooted through soft grass, like a gentle breeze on a warn day. This side was reigned in, its power controlled, like that of a prowling lion. Despite its pleasantness the other side was fighting just as fiercely as the less pleasant side.

"Different reiatsus?" She questioned even though the girl in her arms had exactly that, two very different reiatsus. She was used to someone having one single, distinct reiatsu, one that identified a person, whether it be Shinigami or Arrancar. Even some humans had reiatsus that identified them. However a person having two very different, very distinct reiatsus was something that was new to her, something that was unheard of s far as she was aware.

As suddenly as he had reached forwards and grabbed the collar around her neck he dropped it, sending the girl flopping haphazardly back into Halibel's arm. "Yup. So just take her back to yer room and everything will be fine."

Him and Tosen had been there when Szayel had gone over how the limiter worked and how it would affect its wearer, in other words it was made for the purposes of containing Kazune, in keeping her in Las Noches until Aizen was ready to act out his plan, to put into action the plans he had for her.

"What happened?" She wanted to know, not only for Kazune's knowledge but for her own as well.

There was no doubt that the girl would have questions, that she would want to know that had happened. And there was no doubt in her mind that the simple, dismissive words 'I don't know' would not satisfy the girl. Aizen-sama was a busy man and she did not want to have Kazune seeking him out every chance she got to demand that she get her answers, that wouldn't go over too well even if she made it that far.

"Oh just a little shock."

A slender blonde eyebrow arched questioningly as she asked, "Little?" Something that had caused this kind of reaction could not have simply been 'just a little shock'. Little things did not have such big effects. There had been no time for the butterfly effect to take place and there was nothing for said butterfly to set off to cause such a large chain reaction, not in her bathroom with a small window of five minutes at least.

Nothing that she knew of at least.

"Yup. You see instead of working to drain a very large amount of energy it simply converts into a shock that of course depends purely on how much power was being used." He smiled as though the idea didn't bother him, as though he wasn't fazed by the idea that the collar had caused such a reaction to the girl, a girl that unknown to Halibel used to be somewhat friends with him.

Halibel frowned, though the action was unseen. "Isn't that dangerous?" There was a pause before she added the words, "For her?" Aizen did not want any harm to come of her health so that she'd be in top shape for whenever he needed her; however it wouldn't be good if her own power destroyed her. It wasn't that Halibel was concerned for the girl's safety; she was merely following orders, which were to keep Kazune as healthy and as safe as she could.

Gin only offered his usual smile and lifted a hand, saying, "Well see ya." And with that he was gone from sight.

Halibel supposed that she now had her answers even though she had not found Aizen-sama. But she supposed that was ok since he had no reason to lie, seeing that if he were to indeed lie about the effect of the limiter and Kazune's current state that would probably get the Shinigami into some form of trouble.

So she turned on her heel, and decided to simply obey her superior. Trusting his word that she'd be fine.

* * *

"The funniest thing just happened." Gin said to what seemed to be thin air, to what seemed to be himself. The hallway he was in was empty, though he was approaching a corner of a near identical hallway that veered off to the left. The lighting cast a shadow across the mouth of both hallways however.

"Oh? And what do you find so amusing Ichimaru?" A voice asked as a figure stepped out of the darkness of the hallway that veered off to the left. It was as though he had been trying to stay out of sight, making sure that he could not be detected. When the man stepped out from those shadows he was hiding his reiatsu, pressing it down and making it very small, so only those nearby would be able to sense it.

"Kazune's first escape attempt." The Shinigami sniggered quietly behind a single hand.

Aizen smiled. He knew that keeping Kazune here would be no easy task, though it would certainly prove entertaining to say the least. He could not utter sweet words; merely offer her heart's desire in order for her to bend to his will. She was a stubborn and proud woman, this he had known even before he had begun searching for her, hence the reason for the limiter, for having Szayel create the thing for him.

"How many failed attempts do you think it'll take to break her will?" He asked in a quiet voice that wasn't cold or sneering but simply neutral, uncaring. He did not care how many times she tried, he did not care how many times Kazune failed but he would care if she succeeded in escaping, that's what would matter the most. She could try to escape as many times as she wanted, once a day, several times a day, it made no difference as long as she did not get loose into the barren desert of Hueco Mundo. She would not survive out there with the limiter, the one she could not remove without the key, the one that carelessly lay in a drawer in his quarters.

Silence enveloped the pair as the silver haired one pretended to think about the answer to the question that had been asked. However, unable to come up with a number he simply shrugged his shoulders and said, "I dunno."

There was no telling how quickly she'd give up, after all she did not back down from challenges, and this would be one of the hardest ones she had faced. With an Espada watching her every move, with limited power at her disposal and only the barren and unforgiving, desert of Hueco Mundo to run to if she made it out of Las Noches escaping would be a challenge indeed. Curiosity would cause her to try many ways; test many limits, and her pride, it would not let her give up until she was out of ideas, out of plans to try. It didn't take knowing the girl well to tell that she would not give up any time soon, even with slim chances and nowhere to go.

"But I'm sure she'll get creative."

Aizen scoffed at Gin's words. "Yes. I look forwards to seeing her plans and failures unfold." Creative she would have to get indeed.

* * *

A clawed hand swiped at his sneering face, aiming to rip flesh away from the jaw that wasn't covered in bone. Jerking back at the last possible second, so that the sharp nails ghosted across his skin, the man cackled wildly before ducking down, knocking the Arrancar's legs out from under him and sending him flying with a sharp snap kick to the chest. He might have heard some bones snap as the boy went flying.

"That all ya got?!" He threw his head back and laughed like a maniac. What he needed was a good fight, and this was simply too easy. The fight was mediocre at best; nothing that was worth getting excited about. The only good thing about it was the fear in the fuckers eyes, the satisfaction that came with each and every blow he delivered, each injury that weakened and hurt his opponent.

He had been in an agitated mood all day and so when the Arrancar he had snapped on snapped back he had effortlessly thrown the insanely stupid and obviously suicidal boy through an exterior wall and hadn't given him time to recover before he was upon him, ready to gouge out his eyes, to rip out organs with his bare hands, he was ready to tear him apart limb by limp, to listen to his screams and pleas.

The boy slammed into the white sand below, the sand puffing up around him even as he skidded away from the point of impact, leaving a long ditch in his wake. The boy wasn't even on his feet for a full second before Grimmjow was upon him once again. Had he not been toying with him like a cat does its prey he would have finished the fucker a long time ago, he would not have wasted his time on the weakling but he had nothing better to do then to play the cat and prowl the hallways for a mouse who was willing to let him play with them.

They shoved apart, the Arrancar boy to avoid a Bala that had been charging inches from his face, breathing heavily. He was quite beat up, heavily wounded and bleeding even, this 'fight' was actually a fight in his perspective, not a means of entertainment, nor a means to release so of that irritation he had been feeling all day.

Running had never been an option, but even if it was he had discovered the Espada was faster than him, much much faster. His speed was almost frightening, his reiatsu more powerful than his, easily overwhelming him and his own reiatsu, it was harder for him to injure the Espada with his sword or claws. But he was fighting as hard as he could despite the horrible odds, despite the fact that he was facing one of the most sadistic, most brutal Arrancar amongst the Espada. To be honest he was surprised that he was still in one piece despite the heavy injuries he had sustained.

But instead of attacking again as the Arrancar expected the blue haired Espada cocked his head to the side as though his ears had picked up on something that interested the linstener. If he were a cat his ears would have twitched in the direction but it wasn't a sound that he had picked up, that had piqued his interest to the point of stopping in the middle of a 'fight'. But instead an overwhelming feeling of a cross between anger, insanity and bloodlust that hit him like a ton of bricks.

An eerie grin bloomed on his face. It was a strange mix of almost sinister delight and a joy that was quite dangerous.

Instead of a weak, half dead mouse to play with the cat had spotted the canary.

And then he was gone, just like that, without a word or warning, leaving the Arrancar boy with all limbs attached no fatal wounds and most surprisingly, his life. He let out a breath of relief, thankful for the monstrous being that had distracted the insane Sexta Espada.

The savagery, the insanity, the yearning, the rage, and the need, he felt it all and he wanted to face its owner. Grimmjow did not care whose reiatsu it was, they were powerful, fit to fight even the King. Even if he would beat them it did not matter, it was the fight, the thrill that he wanted, that he was racing towards at speeds that made him but a blur of white, black and blue, kicked up sand and a strong gust of wind.

He could not wait to find the source. Power such as what he was feeling excited the Sexta Espada greatly.

But then, as suddenly as it had slammed into him it was gone, it had lifted and disappeared. "Shit!" He growled pushing himself faster, feeling around for any hint of the reiatsu that could be found as he entered the building through the hole the long since forgotten about Arrancar boy had created via his body.

There was Gin's reiatsu, Aizen's was faint, there was Yammy and Ulquiorra as well as a few others that he didn't know by name. But the more hallways he went down the less he found, the less there was to sense and track.

"Fuck!" He roared stopping and slamming his fist into a wall as if that would help anything at all. The wall his fist had collided with did not have a dent in it but instead it crumbled upon the aggressive contact.

Dammit! He had been looking forwards to that fucking fight and now he wasn't going to get it. All that rush, the excitement, for nothing!

So once again he began prowling the corridors, searching for prey, this time something more exciting than a mouse or that damn canary that had opened its wings and flown away before he could pounce. Maybe he'd go provoke Yammy or Nnoitra or maybe somebody else. His hands were shoved angrily into his pockets, a scowl set deep in his expression, blue eyes narrowed dangerously with fierce aura surrounding him, warding off all those who valued their lives, or did not wish to encounter the grumpy, unpredictable and rash Espada.

Several minutes after finding no one worth engaging in battle in, after finding no one worth tearing apart, no one worth his efforts he felt it again. It wasn't near as strong as it had been the first time and there seemed to be something a bit nicer laced within it but it was what he had felt the first time, so instantly he Sonido'ed towards where he felt the reiatsu, which happened to be nearby.

Things were looking up.

Down a few halls, around a few corners and he was there, facing the being whose reiatsu had hooked him, the King, without even trying. And when he saw the source, whose reiatsu he had so hungrily, so readily dropped what he had been doing and followed without question he threw his head back and cackled out the words, "The bitch isn't dead is she?" She certainly looked that way to him. She was limp in Halibel's arms, being held bridal style with one arm across her stomach the other one reaching for the floor, just like her brown hair. She might have been breathing but it was hard to tell.

Or not.

He would not readily admit that he was surprised when he saw it was Aizen's fucking daughter whose reiatsu he had followed, who he had been so ready to fight with. He was pissed that he had been caught off guard by that fact when he should not have been. He would never admit such a thing, which was why he was mentally growling, why the smile had dropped from his face. Grimmjow could not fight a dead woman no matter how hard he were to try. There would be nothing to do. Dead people don't move, let alone fight.

"No she'd not dead." Halibel coolly responded with narrowed eyes. Not only had she been unable to find Aizen-sama and get answers from him but Grimmjow just had to show up and make things worse. It was obvious what he had come for and it was obvious what he wasn't going to be getting. It did not matter if Kazune was awake, on her feet and ready to charge at him or if she were in her current comatose state or not. He was what many would consider a health risk, a safety hazard at best. And when harm was something that she could not let come to her charge she could not allow the Sexta Espada anywhere near Kazune. In fact he was far too close as it was.

"Certainly looks that way." Grimmjow grumbled slipping his hands into his pockets and looking rather nonchalant, as though he didn't care if she were dead or not.

However that was not the case. He cared a great deal.

If she were dead that would be fortunate because then she wouldn't be able to hide behind her fucking father or even be able to decide to get back at him by tattling on him. But it was more unfortunate than anything because he had not gotten the chance to bring out, to face or even see her power. He wanted to force her into releasing all of her power, of showing how strong she really was. He wanted to put her in her place, to let her know that he was more powerful than her, that she was not above him, that he was above her, closer to being on top than she was.

"If you'll excuse me." Halibel took a step forwards and disappeared from sight. She wanted nothing to do with Grimmjow. He would bring about nothing good, much like the rest of the Espada. It was rather surprising that the explosion of the second reiatsu hadn't sent everyone running, that Grimmjow was the only one to have pursued it, to have taken interest in the reiatsu, after all he wasn't the only one in Las Noches who enjoyed fighting.

She was pleasantly surprised to find that Grimmjow did not pursue her, or even attack. She was glad that he did not follow her to her room where she lay Kazune on the couch that her Fraccion sometimes fell asleep on, the couch that Stark was quite fond of taking random naps on whenever he pleased.

Fortunately neither her Fraccion nor Stark here there occupying the couch because if they had been Aizen-sama's daughter would have gotten the floor. Her bed was her space and she would not allow even her superior's daughter to invade it. Her room was her space as well, her miniature fortress within the large palace, but she could stand to share it with a select few.

* * *

The freckled blonde folded her arms across her chest and glared at the blonde man whose eyes were shaded by a green and white bucket hat. Her eyes were narrowed, her jaw set and her mouth pressed into a thin line, into a scowl. "So are you going to help us or not?"

The man hummed as he racked his brain for any way he could do what the Vizards had requested of him to do. As he hummed he fanned himself with the fan he always carried and watched the Vizards watching him with a variety of expressions on their faces. They stood, or sat, around the exiled Shinigami scientist, waiting for his answer, some more patiently than others but not a single one of them were pleased that he was taking his time to give the answer they wanted.

"Well?" Shinji asked, crossing his arms and shifting his weight with an almost grin on his face. He was acting relaxed and at ease. As he calmly asked the question Hiyori barked the same word, her scowl deepening.

If he did not answer soon then she was going to help him reach a decision. They did not have all day for him to decide that he was going to help them or not. If he said no they were either going to have to force him agree to help, a task that none of them would enjoy, or they were going to have to figure out a way to do it themselves, again something that no one would have fun doing, that or they'd have to see if they could find someone else, though scientists from the Soul Society that were likely to help them were in very short supply. To be honest Hiyori liked the first option best, though somewhere in the back of her head she knew that he wouldn't refuse and that they wouldn't have to force him to do anything. She just wanted a reason to whip off her sandal and hit him with it, though she had no qualms about doing so for no reason at all.

"Well I'd be delighted!" He giggled throwing his arms up into the air to reveal a wide smile. He then walked over to Hiyori who wore a particularly sour look on her face and pinched her cheek nearly singing the words, "I had you worried didn't I?"

"Of course not. I knew you couldn't resist!" She shouted angrily swatting his hands away, even though that didn't work, it didn't even deter the man, it didn't make him stop pinching her cheeks like one might pinch a child's cheeks.

"Were so." He argued ducking as she tore off a sandal and threw it at him despite their close proximity.

Shinji smirked at the fuss going on in front of them. It was good to not be on the receiving end of that sandal. Of course Urahara could not resist the request to open a hole into the Hollow world, better known as Hueco Mundo, so that they, the Vizards, could rescue their comrade and friend. Not only that but he knew that Urahara was aware of the consequences of Kazune being in Aizen's hands, in his control. If they didn't get her out of that position nothing good would come of it.

Upon their arrival to his shop a while ago Urahara had noticed her absence but thought nothing of it until they began speaking about the Arrancar attack on the girl, the one none bothered to pay much mind to, let alone investigate until it was almost too late. But even then she had been taken, they hadn't been able to stop them, rather that's what they had implied, they had not so directly said that's what had happened.

"Yeah, well we'll be going now." Kensei grumbled turning to face the exit of the space beneath the exiled Shinigami's shop.

"Of course, I'm sure you're busy people." He flapped his hand about airily. "I'll send someone when I'm done."

With various farewells, waves, and nods from the Vizards they were soon gone and he was the only one remaining in the space, left alone to his own devices, his own thoughts. Urahara wasted no time getting started as he climbed back up to the shop, closed the door and headed for his supply of sake.

* * *

"You're not going to beat me. Not this time Little One." Kazune sneered using Gin's nickname for her.

Only it wasn't Kazune sneering those words. It wasn't even her voice that was sneering at her. The Kazune that was doing the sneering was pure white; it would not have had a single problem blending into the walls and halls of Las Noches or the sands of Hueco Mundo. It was the invert of herself. Her clothes were identical to hers only instead of white with black lining, it was black with white lining, her shoes were white with black, not black with white. Her hair, while identical to hers in appearance, was white, her skin a color even more pale than that of the black haired Arrancar who had assisted in her kidnap.

The only things not white about the being was the inside of her mouth, which was blue in color, its dark fingernails, and its eyes, which had black whites and yellow irises. Even the sword in its pale hands were wrapped around was the invert of her zanpakuto, which in her Hollow's hands had a black blade, and dull blue wrappings, instead of bright orange ones, around the hilt and a silver blade.

"I think you have it wrong." She did not need to project her voice to her Hollow despite the distance between them, despite the wind raging around them, ripping at clothes and tearing at hair that had been hastily pulled back by both beings to avoid becoming blinded by their own hair. "You will make yourself known when I want you to be known. Your power will be used when I need your power."

Those words just made the Hollow throw her head back and laugh in her strange voice. "Well then you're going to have to force me and it won't be so easy this time."

Kazune had control, which they both knew and knew well. Even from the beginning Kazune had been the one to have the dominant personality, the Hollow unable to take over unless she was in a weakened state. And anytime Kazune was in such a state the Hollow leapt at the chance to break free, to take over and be able to unleash its full power. If only for a few minutes would she be able to do whatever it wanted, making Kazune but a voice in her head until she somehow managed to regain control, until she fought her way to the front of her conscious and took back her usual control.

This was her chance.

When she won she would rip off the restricting collar around her throat and then obliterate it. She'd seek out that Arrancar, Grimmjow, and have a go at him. She would find those two girls and make them regret having ever messed with her. And she would find Aizen and show him what she had become, that at her fullest she was a force to be reckoned with, something to fear, not an instrument to be used as he pleased, not a means to be used for his plans to be carried out.

She would be able to slaughter everyone and everything in her path, something Kazune would never ever, even on her deathbed, allow her to do. Not in that order but when she defeated her host she would do all of those things with joy. Their cries would be a sweet melody to her ears, their blood a bath she would sink into with a smile. Their horror, their fear, their pleas she would savor them all like a fine wine, their attempts to fight back would be accepted with joy and a sarcastic smile. The sheer thought of that put an almost psychotic smile on her face.

Oh how she could not wait to take over Kazune's body and mind.

"If that's what it takes." And with that Kazune and her Hollow lunged at each other, jumping off of the large transparent and perfect cubes beneath their feet.

Those cubes were every shade of every color and they stretched on and on, they were endless and filled her inner world. And inside those perfect cubes was everything imperfect that the world could contain.

Their swords clashed meeting in mid-air with so much force that sparks flew as metal ground against metal, slipping and sliding as they pushed against each other, both girls straining against each other, trying to get the upper hand even though they were more or less evenly matched in strength and speed and used most of the same moves.

They had been fighting for a while, and it was showing on both women. Kazune was bleeding thanks to a torrent of attacks from both her Hollow's black zanpakuto and its feet and fists. She was also scrapped, bruised, and bleeding due to slamming into and through quite a few of those cubes.

The thing about those cubes was that while they were hard, like cement or brick, if hit hard enough they would 'pop' and release all of those imperfect things within them into the gravity-less space of her inner world, things that would get in the way of the fight, things that the wind would either sweep away from them or hurdle at them at dangerously high speeds.

The Hollow wasn't faring much better however. She too was injured and bleeding, only her blood was black, not staining her clothes but instead her porcelain skin, white hair and no longer spotless shoes. Both were unable to use their full power, both still had the limiter around their necks, the Hollow's was white with four black half spheres, two on each side, and a keyhole dead smack in the middle of it. It was a matter of trial and error as to discovering how much power they could use at once, how much of their power they could swing around and hurdle at each other.

A pale hand reached for her face and before she could dodge it, its fingers gripped her face. Before she could let go of her sword with one hand and try to pry the hand off, the arm connected to it pulled back, her body unwillingly following before she was rushing backwards. Only the Hollow didn't stay put and watch her slam into one of the cubes. Instead she followed, plummeting fist after fist into her body, occasionally throwing in a kick to mix things up.

When one fist connected with her face her head snapped back and then forwards, right into the other fist. Back and then into another. And yet another. And then her Hollow used her as a springboard leaping away from her only seconds before she slammed into the only thing that she could in her inner world.

The dust rose from the spot that Kazune's body had crashed into and then suddenly with a loud BOOM the purple colored cube exploded, sending its contents flying in every which direction. Some of the items caught in the wind and everything that did flew towards the Hollow that incinerated the objects with a weak cero. Because even in Kazune's inner world they had found that their power was limited, the Kido attacks, the Hollow attacks such as Balas and Ceros, weren't that strong and in order for there to be a victor they had to rely on brute force and intelligence.

The Hollow Kazune didn't know if she were standing upright or not, it was impossible to tell because of the lack of gravity and the lack of sense of direction. They could have been standing sideways on thin air, or have even been upside down, she could have thrown Kazune right instead of down.

But what did it matter?

As long as she won it didn't.

She Sonido'ed towards the rising dust, preparing a surprise attack when she got close enough. Only when she was within a few feet Kazune surprised her, rocketing out of the cloud of dust that the wind hadn't yet swept away and towards her, her sword gripped tightly in hand, her expression nothing but determined as they once again met, their swords scraping together, their faces inches from the other.

"Why are we doing this now?" Kazune asked, gritting her teeth and pushing back harder as her feet began to slip on the air they were standing on.

Seeing this, noticing the inch she had gained she grinned wildly at the struggling Shinigami. They were almost nose to nose, chest to chest; there was very little space between the two of them. "Because you are weak, your body is weak and I take chances when I have them." She paused only to sneer, "Unlike certain people."

She could feel it, somewhere nearby was that Grimmjow character. Even though she was in the Shinigami's inner world his presence was strong, his reiatsu distince. His presence excited, it called to her. So badly the Hollow wanted to feel his power, she wanted to witness it, she wanted to experience what he could do with that power of his. All the Hollowed Kazune knew what that she wanted to face him. She craved their meeting like a man lost in a desert for days does a long drink of cold water. She craved it, she wanted it, she needed it.

And so with this burning desire, she pushed against the Shinigami harder, sending her flying back, though this time she caught herself before flying into one of the cubes.

"Let me out!" She roared charging before the Shinigami could reply. "I'm. Not. Asking. For. Too. Much." Each word was followed by a swipe of the black Naitomeashinga, each swing had Kazune jumping away and out of its destructive path.

"It _is_ too much. Look what happened when I last let you out." Kazune tried to reason with her Hollow. One might think it's foolish to try to reason with a Hollow, but that's how she had conquered it. Yes there had been a long, exhausting fight that that she had to recover from afterwards that had accompanied the talk, but it did not matter. In the end words, not fists, not force and not swords had been what had ended their long fight, what had caused her to 'conquer' her Hollow.

The Hollow threw her head back and laughed. "Sorry you can't blame that one on me." Her carefree voice got harder and more clipped until her voice was rock hard and stone cold at the end. And when she was done talking she lashed out, letting go of her sword with one hand to throw a punch to the Shinigami's gut. Only Kazune leapt away, soon followed by the Hollow.

There was no more room for conversation, they were too focused on the fight at hand, they were concentrating too hard. Words would not work as they had the first time and several times after that. Words would not appease the Hollow this time because she wanted something, and that something could not be reached unless she had control of Kazune's body.

Neither of them stopped moving, it was attack after attack, blow after blow, swing after swing. It was a combination of kicks, punches, swings, stabs and jabs, and weak Balas, Kido's, and Ceros, one after another in rapid succession. If the blows were dodged, if they missed it was only by a hair. There were no more large spaces, long distances to cover between them.

Both were using all of the strength and power that the limiter allowed them to possess against the other, both desperately wanted to win, but for different reasons.

The outcome of this clash of power and wills would determine who took control of Kazune's body. Closer and closer they raced at speeds that the average eye could not follow. Weapons were poised, muscles tence and expressions set. Both women knew that if they were going to get their way they had to 'win', they had to overpower the other.

Laughter trailed after the Hollowed Kazune as they neared while a quiet growl rumbled in Kazune's throat, annoyed that her Hollow could laugh at a time like this.

And then they met in the middle of Kazune's inner-world, both beings vying to be victorious.

* * *

Kazune bolted upright with a start, eyes snapping open.

* * *

**A/N:** Hehe, I feel kind of bad for ending the chapter at that. If I were the reader I would be about to strangle the author… Oh please do not strangle me!

… On another note I want to thank Hurlstien for their help with this fic so far. So thanks a whole bunch it's made for changes to make reading smoother and stuff like that. :D

And sorry there was no Grimmjow last chapter. I'm sorry this is moving rather slowly, but it'll get there eventually…rather soon I hope. Maybe in a chapter or two? ...maybe. I just didn't want to throw them together immediately.

Please tell me if anyone is OOC (I will fix that right away). And if you think they are OOC then tell me how you think they might have reacted/what they might have said instead.

Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, how I can improve because I'm trying with this fic to improve my writing. Seeing how I'm trying to get better your suggestions will not be taken lightly and I'll try my hardest to listen to them and apply them to the fic and my writing.

Or just leave a normal review that not's con-crit…


	6. The Victor

Upon sitting up her hands flew to her waist on pure instinct. Realizing the action there was a very quiet, very shocked thought,

I won.

The victory was not without consequence however. Her body was sore, her joints stiff and her muscles aching and throbbing dully. It was just like it used to be when she trained too hard, too long and too often. It was protesting against the sudden movement of bolting upright, moving too quickly and tensing up far too soon.

To be honest the fact that her Hollow wasn't the victor shocked Kazune greatly. She had come out of the fight not only in one piece but also in control of her body. Even when they had been at limited power, making them more or less equals, her Hollow was more brutal, crueler and willing to use cheap tricks and dirty moves that she wasn't to ensure its victory.

So why hadn't it won?

Not that Kazune was complaining. But so desperately her mind was scrambling to find the answer as to how it was she had overpowered and outsmarted the powerful and cunning being that resided within her, the monster that scratched at the walls of her mind constantly wanting to get let out and constantly testing its boundaries.

Maybe it was because this fight had been different then the past fights they had fought for power and control. This time it seemed that the Hollow wanted something and wanted it badly. Whatever the Hollow had wanted it had wanted it right then and there. The only problem was that Kazune could not fathom what her Hollow might get from 'taking over', to achieve control for an extended period of time. She knew that her Hollow wanted to have free reign and be able to do anything its heart desired, that it wanted to be free of the confines of her mind, but never had she felt such extreme desire radiating from her Hollow, even now she knew it still yearned for whatever it was it had been fighting for.

But even though it hadn't won it was very satisfied with the pain she was in, taking joy in it even. Her Hollow was merely bidding it's time, figuring out a way to win next time, collar or not. Kazune only knew this because that's what she'd be doing, and her Hollow and her were more alike than either of them would like to admit.

_Feels great to be in control doesn't it?_

It sneered, a wide, sarcastic smile spreading across her face as she folded her arms behind her head and kicked back her feet. One benefit of losing was that she didn't get to feel the repercussions of their fight. It was all Kazune's to handle and that was fine by her.

Before she could snap back a reply or sharp retort, a voice that was calm and filled with almost comforting authority spoke, "Be still." It sounded, followed by the sound of echoing footsteps approaching at a leisurely pace.

Instantly she knew that it was Halibel who had spoken and it was she who was approaching the couch she was on. Sensing that it was just he two of them in the room her muscles relaxed ever so slightly, her hand slipped away from the sword at her waist, away from the bright hilt of her zanpakuto. "What happened?" She asked.

Internally she only sort of knew what had happened but the world outside her inner world hadn't stopped turning just because she had gone into her inner world, the fact that she was no longer on the bathroom floor but instead on Halibel's couch was evidence of that. Not only that, but the last thing she remembered before going into her inner world, was the bathroom door bursting open. Halibel probably wasn't too happy with her and the stunt she had tried to pull. And then a thought hit her, a particularly nasty one that made her chest tighten and her heart constrict. Her orange eyes widened with an expression that resembled fear.

"S-sosuke, does he know?" The moment the question was out of her mouth she wanted to take it back. Her voice had cracked, she had stammered a little bit and she had shown weakness. Kazune hated the way her voice sounded worried, fearful even. She should not sound concerned about whether or not Sosuke knew or not. She hated how her voice had betrayed her thought, revealing that she was in fact very afraid. She was fearful of the consequences that would come with him knowing that she had tried to escape, even if she hadn't been anywhere even remotely close to succeeding.

Now she almost couldn't care less about what had happened while she was warring with a part of herself, unconscious and vulnerable. Obliviously nothing too bad had taken place because she still seemed to have her freedom, no matter how limited it was. She was not strapped down to any sorts of tables, or chained to any walls. Her rather morbid and cynical imagination had not manifested and become reality.

Halibel nodded her head once. "I'm sure Ichimaru has informed Aizen-sama of your misconduct." She coolly informed the scared looking girl positive that Aizen had not been left in the dark. There was no way he had not felt the strong burst of the reiatsu that seemed to have vanished without a trace.

For the briefest of seconds she felt a little twinge of pity for the wide eyed girl before her. She wasn't shaking but her voice and her eyes were traitorous to their master, revealing things that she was most likely reluctant to ever show anyone.

"If you want an apology you won't get one." Kazune grumbled with a sharp glare before flopping back onto the couch and covering her eyes with the crook of her elbow. It wasn't like the wall couldn't be repaired. But she was worried about her health. If Gin knew that she had tried to escape that meant that Halibel had taken her out of the room and had probably sought Sosuke, and if that happened then they probably all felt her and her Hollow's reiatsus fighting. And if they had felt that they they'd realize that she was not some average Shinigami and were at least slightly aware of her Hollow and her trump card.

Mentally Kazune cursed for having been so careless, for having given into her Hollow. But it wasn't just her Hollow's fault. It was her's as well because she had rushed into trying to escape. She had not deliberated or planned, she had not taken time to make up back up plans and ways she might be able to improvise if something happened.

Her mental argument with herself, not with her Hollow, for once, was interrupted by the words, "I desire no apology. However I'd appreciate it if you were to make yourself presentable and then follow me."

"And if I don't?" Kazune challenged, rolling off of the couch, landing on her feet and straightening up, crossing her arms under her chest. She had no problem with washing up, in fact a hot shower sounded quite nice. But she was reluctant to go anywhere with the Arrancar, suspicious of where they would be going. She was curious as to where she'd be lead of course but it wasn't a burning desire. The curiosity was not one that she **NEEDED** to satisfy.

Of so that was the case for a few moments.

That was a lie. It was starting to eat away at her, her imagination and her thoughts whirling around her head at mind boggling speeds. Curiosity, it was a plague that never fully went away. It was like her Hollow, sometimes quiet and calm. But other times it was obnoxious, a raging beast, but always there; the curiosity was always there.

But she wouldn't let it kill her. She wouldn't give into it. No, not after her escape attempt.

"Then I will use force." Halibel said, she did not speak in a threatening manner, but instead simply stated the fact that she would have to use force to get her to come with her. While Kazune had slept many things had happened, like another Espada meeting that she had to sit through. And after that she had been asked to stay to be issued a new order pertaining to Kazune. Of course when she had been gone from her room the girl had not been left alone or unguarded. Her fraccion had watched over her in case she awoke before she had returned.

Kazune uncrossed her arms and shifted her weight. "Fine. Fine." She grumbled, airily flapping her hand about before turning on her heel and stalking towards the bathroom, muttering something about how she need not worry about her trying to escape via the bathroom again.

Before undressing or getting into the shower she looked at her reflection in the oval mirror above the sink. It was kind of funny how if she ignored the hunk of metal around her throat and the clothes she wore in her reflection, and of course the situation she was in she could imagine that she was in a bathroom from the world of the living, maybe at a friend's house even though she didn't have any human friends to visit. She could imagine that she was anywhere on Earth, somewhere that wasn't dominated by the color white and by lifeless things.

She then turned away from the mirror, not giving herself the chance to point out all the flaws in it, all the reasons Halibel had told her that she needed to clean up before they could leave the room. The nice thing was that there was a set of folded clothes on the counter around the sink, something new to change into.

That's nice. Kazune thought as she stripped out of her current clothes.

She started the shower and then stepped into the tub. It was a deep old fashioned tub with the clawed feet. The shower was nice, well the hot spray that came from the showerhead that was connected to the wall, that was great, heavenly even. Kazune figured that because the act of bathing and cleaning oneself was simply going through the motions the mind was left to wander wherever it pleased. And because of that the Hollow seemed to talk even more, making its already known presence even better known.

And this shower was no different.

_Why are you so worried?_ It asked as though it couldn't fathom why she would possibly be concerned.

"If it wasn't Sosuke who ruled this place then I wouldn't be." Someone capable of turning against the entire Soul Society, on experimenting on innocent people, on his comrades, of turning his own daughter and lover into one of those experiments then conquering a world that wasn't his and building a place and an impressive army was someone who deserved her fear.

_You're supposed to be strong._

"I am." Kazune instantly argued. "Fear does not make you weak.

_That's where you're oh so wrong Shinigami._

"How so?" She wanted to hear this one.

_Fear paralyzes, it blinds. Fear reveals a shaky resolve and-_

"Shut up." She grumbled. Fear was not always a bad thing. "I have good reason to fear. I cannot use my strongest techniques, I cannot move at my fastest or punch with maximum force. We are only at a fraction of our power, unable to fight properly or at my best. You know anything then my best will be the death of us." A little voice at the back of her head pointed out that she sounded like Sosuke in the way she argued with her Hollow, how she was calm, with little emotion in her voice. But that little voice was promptly ignored.

_Then we're doomed._

"Don't be such a pessimist."

_Are you telling me that after that speech that there's hope yet?_

"Do you think all that is going to stop me from trying? I'd rather die trying, kicking and screaming, taking others with me, I'd rather go down trying then to go down or die because I did nothing at all." Kazune said to her Hollow.

The Hollow's mouth curved up into a wicked smile before saying, _That's my girl._ It was good to hear that her Shinigami host was not going to give up. It was in neither of their natures to do so and if Kazune were to try and give up the Hollowed Kazune would take over and force her to keep going, even if it killed the both of them.

Kazune finished, turned off the water, dried off and got dressed in the clean clothes that had been offered to her. They were identical to the crumpled ones lying on the floor in the corner of the bathroom. Once done drying and dressing Kazune stepped out of the bathroom, ready to face whatever it was Halibel wanted her to face. She may not be at full power but she still had her zanpakuto, and even if she did not release Shikai or Bankia it was enough to make her feel better. "I'm ready. Force will not be necessary."

When Kazune stepped out of her bathroom she was different, not her reiatsu but her appearance. Her clothes were the same and her hair was wet but that's not what she meant. The girl had reverted back to the girl from the meeting room, the one who had walked in with confidence, who had her shoulders squared, her head held high and her gaze looking down her nose with an impassive expression that many would mistake as a sneer. The expression on her face would have pissed off almost all of the Espada's had they seen it, had she emerged from their bathroom with that look on her face. Almost all of them would have opted to wipe it off her face with joy.

Halibel nodded, glad to hear the news that she would not have to resort to force and maybe even violence depending how much Kazune would have fought, and simply said, "Keep up." Before taking off, using Sonido to disappear from sight with the blink of an eye. She was not surprised that Kazune could keep up with what appeared to be little effort.

She slowed and then came to a stop before a white door that looked like every other door in the palace. If Kazune recognized the reiatsu behind the door she showed no signs of it, there was not a single trace of the fear and worry she had expressed prior to her shower. "I will not be far." She informed her leaning against the wall and crossing her arms under her chest.

She had been given two orders, one to deliver Kazune to this room and two to stay nearby because it was unknown how things were going to go and unclear as to how long the interaction between Aizen-sama and Kazune would last.

Kazune nodded, turned towards the door and then entered the room with the skin she always put on around Sosuke. It was her armor, her defense. In a way it mimicked her father, only she was not the snake that had shed its skin, the caterpillar that had transformed into an entirely new being, she was not the wolf in sheepskin. In fact she was quite the opposite, she was the cat puffing out its fur to appear bigger, the armadillo that curled up to protect its insides, the chameleon that shifted colors to stay undetected. She was not the one looking to betray but the one looking to deceive. Her soft underbelly could not be shown, her Achilles heel, her weaknesses needed to be covered and concealed. There could be no chinks in her armor.

"Hello." She civilly greeted.

The room, while the customary white, was not like the ones she had seen thus far. A black, low to the ground, traditional table was the only piece of furniture that took up floor space other than the black and white pillows around the table. Traditional artwork hung on the walls and in one corner was a folding screen with a scene of a curling serpentine dragon curling its way through wispy white clouds.

Aizen smiled, a smile that resembled the soft ones he used to smile when there were people around, an image to convey, a character to keep in check. "Good afternoon Kazune."

She nodded at him as she sat on the pillow closest to him, resisting the urge to press herself against the farthest wall, to flee the room and get lost, so lost that no one would be able to find her. "I do hope that you do not summon me here so that you could continue lecturing me." Her voice was clipped and cool, revealing only the slightest bit of distaste for the idea of being lectured again.

"I do not." Another nod and a toneless, good, was his response. She was busy untying her zanpakuto, which she laid on the side farthest away from him. She was being bold, either showing her trust, which he knew he had not an ounce of, or she was mocking him, saying 'look I have disarmed myself, what are you going to do about it?', he didn't think she had the gall to do that however. And decided to say nothing on the topic.

_Come on, he's not ready for an attack! Got for his jugular!_ Her Hollow shouted.

_Not now stupid._ She mentally snapped. _There is no way he's **not** ready._ Kazune growled at the voice.

The Vizard Lieutenants and Captains had helped her get stronger, had brought her up to a lever very close to theirs. She had grown but she was not stupid by any means. She would not attack him. Her enemy surely hadn't sat idle and grown weak while she was away either. He must be prepared for an attack in some way, even if she just lunged across the table and tried to wrap her hands around his throat. There was always something lurking beneath that cool surface, waiting for the right moment to spring up and surprise.

Before the conversation could begin an Arrancar with none too impressive reiatsu walked in carrying a tray, with two short and stout cups and a tea kettle. She set the tray on the table and took a step back, but instead of instantly leaving her green eyes watched intently as Aizen poured some tea into two black and blue glasses, handing one to Kazune after placing one in front of him.

She reached out and took it from his hands and began lifting it to her lips. When her lips touched the glass her Hollow spoke up, _Don't you dare drink whatever the hell that is_! It shouted at her as she tilted the cup up.

_It's tea._ That was one thing that hadn't changed, his love for tea and tea time.

_It could be poisoned!_

_I figure I'm here for a reason so he won't kill me._

_Then why were you so worried about him knowing if you had tried to escape or not?!_ The Hollow did not understand why Kazune would be so afraid if she thought that Aizen would not kill her.

_Because there are a great many ways to hurt someone without killing them. You should know._

_Hey!_ It protested despite the truth of the words.

"Is it to your liking Aizen-sama?" The girl asked. Kazune blinked, pulling herself out of her thoughts. Upon taking a look at the girl she saw that the girl was not asking her father but instead addressing her.

Kazune was quick to lower the glass and nod her approval. It was good tea. Looks like the Arrancar had a great many abilities, including fighting, babysitting and cooking. Just what Aizen needed.

"Lord Aizen?" She asked turning to question Sosuke.

It had been a long while since anyone had addressed her by her surname. It was kind of jarring, frightening. It only confirmed that she was related to the biggest threat the Soul Society had ever faced.

"Very good thank you." He nodded and with that the girl bowed and was quick to leave the room.

"This isn't poisoned is it?" She asked tracing her finger around the rim of the cup. Surprisingly enough the inside of the cup was a robin egg blue, not white. It was refreshing and reminded her of that Grimmjow character she had fought and met.

Aizen chuckled, as though something was funny, something about her question was amusing to him. "Do you think that lowly of me?"

Her answer was instantaneous and the double toned voice in her head said the exact same thing at the exact same time, there wasn't even a beat of hesitation before she answered, "Yes."

"I'm wounded Kazune." He said in a mockingly offended voice. Her words did not hurt him, it would take something much greater than saying that she did not trust him, that she thought quite lowly of him to actually bother him, this she knew.

"You shouldn't be." She said coolly taking another drink of the tea. She was starving but she wasn't going to say a single thing to anyone, especially not to Sosuke. When she passed out from fatigue then they could figure it out.

"Well I wanted to tell you that if you want to escape you're going to have to try very hard." His words not only had an instant reaction but they had the desired effect.

Though she kept her cool, her back straightened, shoulders pushing down and a frown pulling down the corners of her mouth.

Her heart stopped the moment he said the word escape. It froze for a few seconds before painfully lurching into overdrive, hammering her blood through her veins at a painful rate. He knew. Shit!

_Do it now! Before he can make the first move!_ The Hollow cackled wildly, trying to push Kazune over the edge. She was so hopelessly lost at the moment that it wouldn't be too hard to push her over.

_I said no. Shut it if you've got nothing nice to say._

_When do I ever have anything nice to say?_ It sneered back at her.

_That's my point._

"Though I do applaud your first efforts. I do not suggest you trying to summon your Shikai; it will not bode well for you."

"Are you trying to help me?" Kazune asked, struggling to keep the mask of indifference from slipping off. She was trying to lose her composure, to reveal her soft underbelly. She couldn't afford to do that, not around Sosuke she couldn't.

"Merely trying to avoid giving Halibel another scare. She was quite concerned for you, you know."

At that she snorted. "Right. A member of your Arrancar army was worried about me." There was no reason for Halibel to have been worried about her. It was just a mind numbing electric current of sorts that had flown through her body that had knocked her out. "Likely story." There was no reason for the woman to have any concern for her wellbeing. It was unlikely that she had been worried about her but instead Halibel had been worried about herself, that sounded more accurate.

But of course Sosuke was so great at twisting things around until they were put in the perspective he wanted that thing to be seen in.

"You do not believe me." That was not a question but a statement.

"I do not. Forgive my lack of faith." She drily answered.

Sosuke opened his mouth to say something in response to her honesty, only to be interrupted by a rumbling sound. Closing his mouth Aizen frowned and asked, "Have you not eaten recently?" She had not been here long, five and a half days to be exact and he had sent food to be delivered a few times. She should not be hungry.

"I have not." She confessed. Since he asked she minds well answer. She could not bring herself to believe that he expected her to get her own food. Not only was her nose not that good but so far she had been locked up in a series of different rooms, not given the opportunity to wander or snoop around.

"Why not?"

Kazune told him about her encounter with the two Arrancar girls, the ones that Grimmjow had scared off, and the fact that her meal had been smashed and ground into the floor. She explained how that had been the first and only chance she had been given to eat.

"That just won't do will it?" Sosuke said with an almost sad shake of his head.

"I'm fine." She lied. She did not want the man to go out of his way for her.

_Why the hell not?! You could tell him that you're starving and have a feast laid out before you._

_I do not want to owe him._ Kazune replied.

_It's just food._

_I'll ask Halibel for some later._

A smile formed on his face and he said, "It was a good thing I had my chefs go to the Human World."

The mention of his chefs and where they had gone seemed irrelevant; she did not understand why it was he was still smiling either. It was as though he knew something she did not. "And why is that?"

"Regardless of your escape attempt we would have had tea today. So I took the liberty of having them make Hayashi." Again she reacted exactly as expected. She swallowed noisily. There was no way she could resist accepting now.

In her head she closed her eyes and tilted her head back. Sosuke was a cruel, cruel man. Offering her something she could not resist, ever. Hayashi rice was her favorite food, it was a dish with beef and onion that was stewed in a red-wine sauce and served on white rice. She always got odd looks for drinking sake, a rise based drink, with the rice based meal but she did not care. Hayashi served with sake was a meal she could never turn down.

Not even now. And she saw it in his eyes, his knowledge of this fact.

"If you insist." She grumbled giving into not only her grumbling stomach but into her desire for her favorite food. She knew that she should not accept, and she wouldn't have had it been any other food- besides sweets, she had a very big sweet tooth. But it had been Hayashi that he had offered. It was one of her easier exploited weaknesses, and it was one he knew very well.

He nodded. "I do. I cannot have my daughter starving while in my care. What would your mother say about such horrendous treatment?"

In a not so discretely manner Kazune slipped her hands under the table and balled them into fists that shook in her lap. She clenched her jaw and glared at the man.

Horrendous treatment?! Her thoughts screamed at the man indignantly. What would your mother say?, Echoed her thoughts bitterly. His word choice made Kazune want to lunge across the table and wrap her hands around his throat, to start swinging Naitomeashinga around sheathed or unsheathed it would not matter. She was just itching to do something, to act out one of the many scenes playing within her mind's eye.

_Do it._ The Hollow almost seductively whispered into her ear. At this point it wouldn't take much encouragement.

Their chat hadn't been going too terribly, she was even going to get her favorite meal out of it. However he had the nerve to say that 'staving her' would be a horrendous act?! He had the gall to say that doing so would be such a crime when he had done things unimaginable to most to his lover and the daughter she had blessed him with. Never did he have the right to mention her mother; her name had no place in his thoughts or on the tip of his tongue. Her mother was too good for him, always had been, always would be.

The air around them turned sour, and it was obvious that Kazune was displeased with the direction he had turned the conversation. There was almost electricity in the air around the two of them, Kazune's orange eyes ablaze with anger and hate. Aizen wondered if she had this kind of reaction when the Vizards mentioned Yuna, or if it was just when her name or the mention of her came from him that she got so upset. He wondered if she reacted differently to different people when they spoke of Yuna.

Aizen must admit he was surprised by Kazune opening her mouth to respond. "What would she say, you ask?" She asked with a pause where he nodded his head in case she wanted him to confirm her question. "She'd say 'You bastard' before giving you a wake-up call. She'd probably mention Hell and who knows maybe I'd get lucky and she'd kill you." Kazune then shrugged and then said, "But who knows maybe she wouldn't even recognize the monster you've become."

Monster, he had always been monstrous, traitorous, and villainous. The only thing that had changed was that she was no longer the only one who knew this fact. If she had told the people of the Soul Society, Head Captain Yamamoto or even Central 46, no one would have believed her. So she waited for him to spring his attack, unfortunately she had not anticipated being a part of his vile plans.

While her physical composure was impeccable, her reiatsu, it was all over the place, lashing out and revealing just how upset she was.

But he couldn't help but smile at her malicious response. "You don't want me dead. After all who would protect you when I'm gone? Don't say Halibel because only under my orders is she keeping you safe. Nnoitora, Grimmjow and several others will so gladly tear you to shreds; devour your exotic soul even. Your soul is one that is similar to theirs but not quite the same. Not only that but who's going to return you home?"

Kazune opened her mouth to answer Sosuke's question, to tell him that she'd make it out without his help, that she did not need him to stay alive, that she did not need his help in returning to her friends. However he did not let her utter a sound.

"To simply answer my question; no one. Most of my Arrancars can open a Garganta. But even with that being the case no one would be willing to help you get back home. After all my dear Espada are selfish creatures and there is no way for them to benefit from helping you out. "

She slammed her hands down on the table and rose to her feet angrily. "I do not need you or your help Sosuke." Kazune fiercely told the ruler of Hueco Mundo.

"Quite contrary." He said with a smile. He knew very well that she could not get out of Hueco Mundo of her own accord; she also could only get so far away from Las Noches before there were consequences to be had, unknown to her. He also knew very well that she knew this fact, that she could not get out of the realm of Hollows using her own limited supply of power.

With a growl she grabbed her cup and to openly show her displeasure, her anger, to release some of her bottled up emotions she flicked her wrist, emptying the cup of its contents before she bent down, grabbed her zanpakuto, and made a point of tying it around her waist. Then with that, without another word, for there was nothing else for either of them to say to the other, she turned towards the door and decided that it was the best if she were to simply walk away.

It seemed her Hollow was not the only one trying to make her lose control.

With as much control as she could, she turned towards the door and decided that it was best for everyone if she were to simply walk away before the crack could grow, before it could worsen. If she cracked, if her skin fell away it would leave her a roiling mess of emotions, it would leave her vulnerable and susceptible to her Hollow's suggestions and mutterings. It was never a good thing for Kazune to lose control, especially not in front of the man who had the nerve to call himself her father.

A lot of emotion was put into throwing open the door and taking an angry step forwards. Only she was forced to stop short and blink a few times. She was so wrapped up in her emotions; of the words that Sosuke had said that she had not felt this brown haired man's reiatsu literally just outside the door. He stood there on the other side of the threshold with one hand holding a white ceramic bowl, and the other poised to knock.

She growled when she realized that he looked a lot like Sosuke, his hair at least, it was not only wavy like Sosuke's but it was brown, maybe a few shades darker but it was brown and there was one strand that fell into his face, only his forehead but it was still a single strand of hair. The strand was smaller however, his eyes a different color and there was white bone that wrapped around the base of his neck. She recognized him as one of the Espadas.

After a seconds pause however she snatched the chopsticks from the top of the bowl, broke them apart then grabbed the bowl, pushed past the man and continued on her way.

For a moment Stark looked over his shoulder and watched the girl storm away from him. He watched Halibel push away from the wall and follow the girl with a frown. Maybe he'd be able to catch her later, though catching her alone and without the Shinigami girl would prove to be much more difficult. That thought caused the frown to deepen ever so slightly.

But then he looked at Aizen, who was smiling despite the fact that his 'guest' had very rudely gotten up and walked away, and said, "Charming."

Aizen was pleasantly surprised that Kazune had not flipped the table while making her exit, that she had not sent the rest of tea flying in a fit of rage.

However, he was not pleased that she had thrown his tea in his face.

It was as though she was tempting him to make her stay here in Hueco Mundo as miserable as he possibly could. It was something he could certainly do. So far he had been quite considerate, going as far as making her stay enjoyable.

After all he had given her freedom, as limited as it may be; she had not been thrown into a room and locked away for an extended period of time. The first few days had merely been a precaution, as was the Limiter still around her throat. He was not feeding her bland food that only had the nutrients she needed but not the taste that she'd want. It wasn't as though he was trying to drive her crazy with absolutely no interactions with anyone.

She was well off with freedom and company. He had also let her keep her zanpakuto and a sliver of re power. He was protecting her via one of his Espada and by telling them that they were to treat her well.

But maybe Kazune did not realize that he could take it all away.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm trying to speed it up. Sorry it's been so slow. I just…didn't want to make it too fast but it seems I've dragged it out at bit too much. So if I end up making things go too fast please tell me. You know the rest. Also I posted this in a hurry so I'll get to editing to it later…probably Tuesday if anyone cares.

Please tell me if anyone is OOC (I will fix that right away). And if you think they are OOC then tell me how you think they might have reacted/what they might have said instead.

Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, how I can improve because I'm trying with this fic to improve my writing. Seeing how I'm trying to get better your suggestions will not be taken lightly and I'll try my hardest to listen to them and apply them to the fic and my writing.

Or just leave a normal review that not's con-crit…


	7. Attempt

Sosuke didn't think she could do it, that she could not get out of this damn place herself. But she'd show him that with her own power she would do exactly that. She would break out of this accursed place and return to her family and friends.

Did they even notice- her wondering thoughts asked, only to be cut off by a shake of her head and the grumbled words, "Of course they have." before she shoveled yet another scoop of Hayashi into her mouth.

Eating and walking was not a skill that Kazune was proud of, but it was one she had acquired anyways.

It was one of the many things she had incorporated into her training. If she could keep the bowl from touching the ground as she practiced the art of movement or from falling off of her head as she trained in the art of wielding her zanpakuto then she was doing good. It was also a way to gain balance, to understand the idea of your centerline and from making unnecessary movements.

Of course eating while storming away from Sosuke was something new, but it was still no challenge to get the food from the bowl and into her mouth. Kazune had no problem shoving angry bites of food into her mouth, leaving no trail of rice, beef and onions behind her.

"Where do you think you're going?" Halibel asked, matching her pace with ease once she caught up with the furious Shinigami girl. She was eating as though there was no tomorrow, as though she would not see food for a long period of time.

"Dunno." She answered around a mouthful of Hayashi.

She wasn't familiar with the layout of the place she had been taken too. It could be because the hallways all looked the same or because she hadn't been given the chance to map and memorize her surroundings, to be able to pick out the subtle differences that differentiated the hallways from one another; surely there was at least one thing different in every hallway.

"Don't care." Kazune said, stuffing another bite into her mouth. Then to maybe make the Arrancar woman feel better spoke around said food, "Jush give meh shom time."

"I cannot leave you alone if that's what you're asking." She was quick to shoot down that idea in case that was indeed what Kazune was suggesting.

Gulping down her food she grumbled, "I'm not." She knew very well that she was under 24/7 surveillance like it or not. Kazune also knew that now was not a ripe time to try and make a break for it.

_What's got you so worked up Miss priss?_ There was a pause but before she was given the chance to launch into an explanation her Hollow spoke again, asking, what did the man say wrong this time?

The Hollow didn't understand why her host was walking away from the room in long angry strides. As far as she was concerned they had been doing fine, despite the strong emotions of loathing and hate that she was happily reveling in. Anger had been added to the mix all of the sudden and she didn't know why. It's not that particularly cared but she was curious.

Curiosity was a flaw both her and her host shared, though it was more prominent and showed far more often in the things that the Shinigami thought and did than it ever did with her.

_Didn't know you cared._ Kazune sneered.

_I'd like to know why my host is so damn upset._

_None of your fucking business._

The very last thing she wanted to do was to vent to her Hollow. Her Hollow was not a therapist; it did not care about her problems and was even less inclined to listen to them. Not only that, but her Hollow would not be able to fully understand what her problem was, why she was so infuriated.

_Well as far as I'm concerned he said nothing wrong._

_Nothing wrong?_

She questioned calmly then shouted,

_NOTHING WRONG?! First off he mentioned Yuna, he has no right doing that. And secondly he said that I depend on him, that if it were not for him I would be dead, that in order to get back I'd need his help. I will never fucking need his help. I'm going to get out of here using my own power, our power._

_Well Sherlock that's going to be quite the task._

Sherlock was that mystery detective if she wasn't mistaken, the one with Watson, or was it Waterson? Eh, either way Kazune seemed fond of mystery things, books, TV shows, the likes. Eh, who cared which one it was, she was sure she was right in sarcastically calling the Shinigami girl Sherlock.

_You agree with him don't you?!_

That made her simmering blood immediately start to boil yet again. How dare a part of her, a prideful, cruel and bloodthirsty part of her dare agree with Sosuke! She could not believe that her Hollow agreed. The Hollowed Kazune was her only company, half of her encouragement to get her ass up and not wait for the Vizards, to not wallow around in her sadness that she had been captured, or simmer in her hate for the man who had issued her kidnap.

_Don't you dare go putting fucking words like that in my mouth bitch! I never said that!_ Her Hollow shouted back at her, its anger now mixing with hers, making the nasty side of her reiatsu rear up and lash out.

_That's what it sounded like to me._

_I told you that if you didn't do something that I'd take over your body and force you to do something about being here didn't I?_

The Hollow paused and waited for an answer she knew she wouldn't get.

_So why the hell would you think that I would agree with that fucker? You are going to get out of here, I do not care how. I do not care if you have to tear a hole into the fabric that makes up the barriers between our worlds to get out of this place. Do you fucking understand me? It asked._

Kazune couldn't help but let out a chuckle. _Of course. I'm glad we're on the same page._

Halibel was not used to seeing someone scowl while eating at a near run. However, judging from her reiatsu and the reappearance of the other reiatsu she decided to give the girl a little bit of space and fell back a few paces, slowing her walk so that Kazune was several strides in front of her.

It was best if she let the girl blow off her steam instead of insisting that they go back to her room, or insisted that she tote the girl around while she did things she wanted to do, things she might have needed to do.

* * *

He was bored.

Oh so terribly bored.

Goading anyone worth his time and energy into a fight had yet to work and he had tried extra hard today to get someone to fight back. But when they wouldn't take the bait, when he didn't get a satisfying rise out of anyone, he was forced to look elsewhere with an extremely deadly scowl.

It didn't help that he wasn't exactly in the mood to fight anyway. He was not tired and so there was no need to even try to bother with a nap, and even if he had bothered it would have only killed a few hours at best.

It was rather unfortunate that boredom was one of the many things Grimmjow Jaegerjaques was not good at handling.

And currently he was prowling the long white halls of Las Noches, hunting for something to do, something which would take away his boredom if only for a little bit.

His hands were shoved deep into his pockets, clenched in tight, irate, fists. A mean scowl that sent Arrancars of every level scrambling to not be seen or to get out of his way, was deeply set into his face. Reiatsu, not reigned in as it usually was, lashed out and thrashed about wildly.

Long, annoyed strides covered space quickly but not as quickly as Sonido. Grimmjow did not want to go so fast through the hallways that he would miss something to alleviate his boredom. And blue eyes were searching, calculating how whatever or whoever he came across could entertain him, could help him in his mission.

He thought nothing of the corner he sharply spun around, deciding at the last minute to not continue down his straight path. And once he saw what was down the hall from he saw it, exactly what would cure the disease that had been eating him alive for the past few hours that felt like years to the bored Sexta Espada.

Just the slight promise of being entertained changed the man's whole demeanor. He instantly straightened his hunched over posture, taking his fists out of his pockets and began swaggering, not stalking, towards the brown haired girl with an unfriendly smile.

But before he could get even remotely close to her he was attacked. Their swords clashed before he even thought about drawing his zanpakuto to block the blow that the blonde was about to use to send his head rolling. He wasn't too surprised that she had stopped him in his rather direct path towards the Shinigami girl. He had been ready for the attack, not the zanpakuto, but maybe a warning cero or a shout or something of the sort.

But this was more fun, so it didn't matter.

"Calm your tits woman." He sneered with a smile that had widened the moment the metal of their zanpakutos had sent sparks flying into the air between them, blocking and then countering a kick of hers before it even had the chance to reach him. "I aint gonna lay a finger on her."

"You don't need a finger to fire a cero." She growled at the Sexta Espada even though the both of them knew this fact as they shoved away from each other. Halibel and Grimmjow both knew that Apacci, Stark and several others did not fire their cero's from their hands.

While the two of them fought, Halibel trying to keep Grimmjow away from the Shinigami girl, and Grimmjow trying to get past her, said Shinigami walked right past the pair and continued on her way, merely walking around them. She didn't pay any attention as to where it was she was going, however she was getting close to running out of Hayashi. She rounded the corner that Grimmjow had just turned down and walked down the hall he had just stalked up. She went around a few more corners, down a few hallways but not through a single door as she worked her way through her bowl of food.

Rounding another corner she slammed face first into a wall and then proceeded to stumble back but did not let go of the large bowl as she rapidly blinked her way back into reality.

Letting out a curse she saw that the wall had something strange and rather hat-like protruding from it. Said wall also seemed to have one eye, a nose and a sneering mouth.

_Not a wall dipshit._

The wall then let out a laugh, watching as the orange eyes Shinigami girl regained her footing before crouching down into a defensive position, hugging the bowl tightly to her chest, readying the chopsticks in her hand for attack.

_Why'd you pass Grimmjow?_

The Hollow asked with a heavy frown glaring both at the man before them and her Shinigami. He didn't even want a fight. This close! They had been so close! So close and her hadn't been allowed to reach out, to even touch the man, she hadn't been allowed to engage the man in battle, the one thing she wanted to do, even if it left her and her shinigami in unrepeatable shambles.

_I'm not in the mood Hollow._

_Then you're really not in the mood for this guy._ Her Hollow grumbled but before Kazune could pull herself out of her head the wall reached forwards, wrapped its hand around her neck, under the collar that had been placed there, and lifted her off of her feet and into the air until they were eye to eye.

"Fancy running into you here." He greeted with a creepy smile that send phantom spiders racing down her spine. Even her Hollow didn't like his reiatsu, which while it was similar to Grimmjow's enticing one, there was something particularly nasty about his energy, something that neither her Hollowed side nor her Shinigami side liked.

She could have wasted her time and breath on trying to verbally get the Arrancar to release him; she could have dropped her dish of Hayashi and chopsticks and flailed about in hopes of actually reaching him and forcing him to let her go.

However she did none of that.

In fact the man did the work of her and pulled her close, so that she was no longer an arms distance from him but instead not quite nose to nose. Instead of thrashing about or dropping her precious food she stabbed her chopsticks into his eye.

Only instead of letting and screaming in agony he threw his head back and laughed. When that didn't work the Hollow inside her head whispered,

_Try the other._

Having had the exact same thought she obeyed wordlessly, twisting her wrist and jabbing the other end of the chopsticks into his other eye. This one was not only uncovered but it also seemed to do the trick. The wall turned Arrancar growled out a long string of curses before he reared back, the grip around her throat tightened just seconds before he threw her as hard as he could.

She just so happened to crash into a wall and then through several more before settling in a pile of rubble, pieces of the last wall falling down around her.

Dazed she sat there trying to get a hold of her surroundings.

However as dazed as she was, Kazune was just fast enough to roll out of the way of a cero that could have very well killed her had it managed to make its mark!

As she rolled over the fragments of the walls she had flown through, she pulled out Naitomeashinga and swung aimlessly, sending an arch of air that could cut towards what she hoped was in his general direction.

He didn't even bother dodging the arc of air but instead lazily deflected it elsewhere with a laugh. And before she could come up with a follow up attack he had disappeared from sight only to reappear a fraction of a second later to slam his foot into her side before she could make it to her feet. A loud crack could be heard but was more or less ignored as she was send flying through the air once again.

Only this time, instead of watching her sail through the air, he Sonido'ed to where she would land with yet a loud cackle. "Aizen's little bitch's got some fire huh?" He said as she rolled a few feet before coming to a stop only inches from his feet.

Instantly registering this dangerous predicament, Kazune began shooting off Kidos that dissipated across his skin, scorching his white clothes but doing no damage. But they had been more of a distraction technique than anything.

It didn't help that her options were limited.

As her weak Kidos distracted the Arrancar she rolled away from him, and skimmed the rubble around the two of them for her zanpakuto, which she had involuntarily let go upon being getting the air kicked out of her lungs.

Spotting the orange hilt, she Shunpo'ed towards it, all thought of the man disappearing from her mind. It didn't even occur to her that he'd notice what she was doing and would react to it. Without slowing down or breaking stride she scooped it up and spun back around to face the man, now armed with a weapon she knew she could do damage to him with.

She was ready.

She would make him regret having ever thought it was even a remotely good idea to mess with her. She would not allow this man to sneer at her and think himself above her, even with her limiter she would prove that she was a force to be reckoned with.

Kidos had next to no effect, cero's would leave herself vulnerable and she had been warned against using Shikai, and if she couldn't use Shikai then Bankai was certainly out of the question. However a sword was a sword, it was sharp and could slice through quite a large range of things that included buildings, flesh, and Hollows.

"You know you were told to treat me as you would Sosuke." Kazune let out a laugh and added, "I bet you wish you could fight Sosuke like this don't you? Is this your way at trying to get to him?" She paused for a beat then continued on because she just couldn't let the man be delusional any longer. "Well I don't mean shit to the man so you might wanna try some other methods."

"Where's that cunt Halibel? I thought she was supposed to be 'protecting' Aizen-sama's shit." He sneered at her, looking around as though he expected the blonde woman to materialize out of thin air.

"It's your lucky day, she's currently busy."

The grin that spread across his sneering face sent a shudder through her body, anticipation was running wild, her Hollow was eager for the start of the carnage, adrenaline began pumping its way through her body and the thrill of what was to come clutched at her heart.

* * *

"Why are we still fighting?" Grimmjow asked with a laugh as he jumped away from Halibel's swinging sword. She was pissed and he was taking joy in the fact that he was the cause of it.

His drab day had been turned all around the moment he had found the Shinigami girl. Maybe he should bother her more often. When he wasn't doing Aizen's bidding, fighting or taking a nap he was quite bored and it did not bode well when he was bored because usually that meant that someone's life was on the line or things were about to get destroyed for the hell of it, for the hell of getting rid of his boredom.

"I am steering a safety hazard clear of my charge." She answered with another swing, this time it was a kick meant to collide with his stomach. However the man simply offset and slammed the palm of his hand into her solar plexus, sending her flying away from him several feet.

However that was as long as he could hold his composure. His shoulders starting shaking up and down after he threw his head back. And then he wrapped an arm around his middle before doubling over. He was laughing at the woman, could she not feel their reiatsus? Had she not noticed that her said charge was not sitting idly as they had fought?

"What's so funny?" She growled at him.

His fit of laughter did not last any longer than sixty seconds and when he collected himself and stood upright once again his composure had been regained, even though his blue eyes were silently roaring with laughter, still at her dispense.

"Are you so fucking focused on me that you didn't pay any damn attention to where the little bitch went?" Despite having regained his composure there was still a wide, sneering, smile on his face, the laughter was still in his tone.

The moment after he had finished his sentence they were gone, there one second and not the next. Grimmjow having read Halibel's eyes, knowing what she'd want to go to the girls rescue before it was too late.

At exactly the same time the two Espadas Sonido'ed away, zeroing in on Kazune's slight spiritual pressure as they did so.

* * *

Damn. Kazune thought as she coughed blood out onto the floor. She was currently on her hands and knees, panting heavily and fighting back the darkness that threatened to take her swimming vision away. Her arms were shaking and her zanpakuto was not currently in her possession.

The strong, sadistic man was standing above her, laughing about something she could hear but couldn't quite make out.

He was gloating, that much she could tell.

He hadn't wasted much time with weak attacks, though he kept hitting her in places that were drawing out their fight. A small break here, a snap there, a stab every so often and of course a few kicks and punches.

_Get up dammit!_

Gritting her teeth and letting out a quiet growl aimed at her Hollow she pushed herself off of her hands and knees and onto just her knees before she managed to summon enough energy to lift one leg so that she was only on one knee. Bloody hands were braced against the leg and then after a push she was on her feet and stumbling forwards.

However she managed to catch herself by throwing out her arms and refusing to let her knees buckle under her.

_Stop being so damn weak and useless. For God's sake!_

SHUT UP!

Did her Hollow think that she wasn't trying?! She was not used to fighting with such little power at her dispense, and it didn't help that his reiatsu easily over powered the small amount that she had, or that he had somehow gotten ahold of Naitomeashinga within the course of him toying with her.

It was all costing her big time!

Right now she was not making him regret anything, in fact, she was entertaining him. And that just rubbed her the wrong way. But at the moment she had other things to worry about, like not getting killed.

The man with one eye phased out of sight only to appear behind her just seconds before there was the once again familiar sensation of a sharp blade piercing her skin, sliding through muscle and tissue like a dart through the air. This time it was her shoulder her own blade tore through.

And then it was ripped out in one jerky movement that caused her to cry out with pain. The cry however was cut off by a kick that sent her into a pile of rubble. His laugh reverberated through her skull as she went flying, helpless to stop herself as she crashed, sending up a large cloud of dust that put her at a disadvantage.

_God dammit! If you do not get up and show this man a real fight then I am going to take over._

Her Hollow threatened. It was not an empty threat. It was never enjoyable to work with a damaged body, and Kazune was in a world of pain at the moment, a world she was not willing to take on, however, if taking on the pain and taking control of the Shinigami's body is what it took to ensure that they both survived then she'd do it.

Kazune let out another growl, this one of a combination of pain and annoyance. She didn't need to deal with her Hollow or its threats at the moment! It was one of the last things she needed on her plate. This guy was enough.

In the cloud of dust that was now settling around her Kazune stumbled to her feet, automatically falling into a default fighting stance and waited for him to come to her, for him to attack once again. She felt for his reiatsu and waited for him to make his move, arguing with her Hollow about how she would react depending on what course of action he might take when next attacking her.

If he Sonido'ed behind her then she'd Shunpo away. If he tried to stab her again, she'd avoid the blade if she could and take it back, even if it meant grabbing the blade and slicing up her hand. And if he got too close she'd reach out with a bloody hand and gouge out his one eye.

"I thought you were strong." He sneered Sonido'ing towards her and then bending down to her level, so that they were eye to eye. Compared to her he was a giant. She was a puny two storied house next to a skyscraper. Before she could say anything, before she could spit in his face or argue that it was the damn collars fault that she was not fighting at her best, he just laughed and said, "But damn I was wrong. Quite disappointed in fact."

_Don't just stand there!_ The Hollow roared inside her head angrily. Insulting her Shinigami's strength was insulting her and she would not stand for it!

So she obeyed, spitting a mouthful of blood and saliva into his face, aiming for his one good eye. The moment his eyelid fell over his eye to blink away the blood she ducked the blind punch he threw then lunged at the man, grabbing for the sword in his hand.

Kazune wasted no time pivoting on her heel, sending her reiatsu down and around Naitomeashinga's blade before attacking him with all of her strength.

However the world decided to sharply tilt at that moment and instead of her blade making its mark, instead of sliding through his heart as she had intended, the blade sliced between two of his ribs, doing only minimal damage even though it penetrated his skin and drew blood that was inky black in color.

Like Zakari Kenpachi would have, he threw his head back and laughed as though there were something funny about her attack, the wound and the pain she had just inflicted.

"The little kitten's got some fucking claws!" he howled with laughter as he reached out and grabbed her by the neck once again. Once again he threw her as hard as he could. He knew that if he didn't want to face Aizen's fucking wrath then he couldn't kill the girl, but he didn't have to kill her to satisfy himself. Already heavy bruises covered her neck from the numerous times he had grabbed her there. Blood ran in torrents down her body, staining not only her clothes and the floor bright red but also his no longer pristine white clothes and his hands crimson.

She barreled into something that thanks to her momentum began sliding backwards as well. It couldn't be a wall that she had slammed into because not only were there no walls left standing around their 'fighting grounds' but walls also didn't sprout limbs that wrapped around her body and then hug her battered and beaten body close to them.

But this wall did exactly that, and to make matters even better, this wall excited her Hollow.

And instantly it clicked, who the 'wall' was.

The blue haired Espada was the first to reach the couple fighting in the middle of one of the many hallways of Las Noches. Grimmjow surprisingly enough did not go straight for Nnoitra but instead was possessed to go for the girl instead. Disturbingly enough he delivered no blows, instigated no fight, did not injure her in any way, shape, and/or form. But instead he caught her flying form in his arms with the words that were thankfully more in character than his actions.

"You look like shit."

As he skidded to a stop he did get the privilege of watching Halibel attack the bastard. However he wasn't pleased with the damned woman getting to him first.

"I don't need your help." The girl in his arms grumbled, struggling weakly against the tight hold he had around her. Only her struggling made him hold her closer jut to bug her and made a smile blossom on his face.

Her sharp response despite her injuries and distress made him laugh.

Don't need your help my ass. He thought.

She really did look like shit. She had been stabbed quite a few times, her clothes were not only shredded but more red than they were white, her body was shaking and her eyes were unfocused. Those were bad signs, very bad signs in fact.

She could keel over, not here. She could not kick the fucking bucket, not yet at least.

"Certainly looks like ya do to me."

"I don't care what it looks like." Her voice got hard, her orange eyes narrowing into a glare aimed straight into blue eyes that weren't even looking down at her. "I don't need your help." She was too prideful to even consider accepting his help. She did not want it and she most certainly did not need it. She refused to accept it and that was that.

Those words however captured his attention, taking his sights away from the 'fight' between the fifth and third Espadas. "Want it or not we're here."

That caused her to frown at him, earning a chuckle that she could feel from being pressed against him so tightly. She didn't understand why he was helping her. Halibel she could understand, she was under strict orders and probably death threat to make sure nothing happened to her. Too late for that, but she was currently keeping the man at bay, keeping him away from her.

Grimmjow crouched down, slipped an arm out from under her and then lowered her to the floor in a gentle manner she didn't think he was capable of. He then reached towards her, an action that caused her to flinch, and patted her head.

Then like he was commanding a puppy said, "Now you stay put and watch how you beat the shit out of certain bastards." By time he was done speaking he had risen to his feet, reached across his body and had begun drawing his zanpakuto from its sheath. He was about to Sonido into the chaos that was ensuing between the two Esapdas only to feel a tugging on his pant leg.

Looking over his shoulder he saw fingers closed around a fistful of white fabric. Those fingers were connected to a bleeding arm that was attached to a bleeding Shinigami girl. But when his blue eyes find her eyes he was surprised to see that they had changed, even though the emotion did not reveal itself in his features.

Her eyes were familiar to him, he had seen them many times, just not set in the sockets they were currently set in. The irises were no longer orange but instead golden. The whites of her eyes, they were black. However her eyes were not the only thing that had changed. The reiatsu that had saved the wimpy Arrancar's ass yesterday had returned.

"Whaddya want?" He grumbled at her, impatient to jump into Halibel and Nnoitra's fight. However, he was more than willing to shift his sights and engage Aizen's daughter instead. With her current condition however she would be too easy, not even the least bit entertaining. But those golden Hollowed eyes had a fire within them that told him that she would fight no matter how slim the chances of her victory were, meaning that even beaten and gravely injured she'd fight him, or anyone else who challenged her, tooth and nail.

Fortunately that's how Grimmjow liked it. He loved the desperation of his prey as they tried their hardest to succeed even though they knew they could not. And how tempted Grimmjow was to challenge her to see how hard she'd fight, to see how long it would take before she lost all confidence and bearing. He would take great joy upon seeing her panic and fear. And maybe, just maybe, like so many strong Arrancars had before, she would fall to her knees and grovel at his feet, begging for mercy and to be spared. Maybe if she did that, if she were not too prideful to get on the ground and beg then he might just consider keeping her around.

When she spoke her voice had a double tone to it._ "The moment I get the chance I will show you my real power."_ A smile formed on her battered face. But it wasn't a smile that looked like it belonged there. It was too toothy, too wicked and too sly. It stretched too widely across her face but she wasn't done talking. _"And when that chance comes, I want to see your power, all of it."_

"That time ain't now. So get the hell off of me." He growled at her. Despite his gruff tone, narrowed blue eyes and harsh words he made no effort to pull himself free or force her to let go of his pants.

The out of place smile faded into a smirk that played on her lips as the fingers tightly clenched into a fist slowly uncurled from the cloth, releasing the Espada from her hold. However her eyes did not return to their sunset orange color. And she spoke again. "Until then Sexta." She nodded her head once and he offered a lazy grin before he was gone, leaping into the fray with a battle cry to announce his presence but without so much as a second thought.

"Staisfied?" Kazune muttered under her breath.

_I will not be satisfied until we fight. You should know that Shinigami._

"Well you're not getting your hands on him anytime soon." She said. Her eyes glued to the three beings that kept disappearing only to reappear in different locations.

She could hear not only the sounds of fighting but also the sounds of joy.

They were mesmerizing, the way they moved, not wasting a second and not even stopping to think. Every move had a purpose. There was no room for mistakes and messing up.

And their power, it was hypnotizing. It was like watching captains spar in the Soul society, beautiful yet so dangerous. Their power, it was also overwhelming, pushing down on her, creating an almost nauseating sensation. But her Hollow loved it all.

_Get off your fat and lazy ass and join them._ The Hollow demanded, pushing hard on the confines of her mind, trying its hardest to break free. Their power was intoxicating and infectious but that was not the only reason she needed Kazune to get up, ready her sword and jump in.

_Show them that you're not as weak as you let on._

But Kazune shook her head. "No way in hell. I enjoy living thank you very much."

Jumping into that fight would be like throwing a bloody steak into shark infested waters. The fight was the water, the Arrancar's the sharks and her the bloody steak. Kazune wished not to get torn to shreds.

_I do not care if you're hurt or wish to live. Hell I do not care if you're broken, bleeding or on the brink of death. Get your ass up and show them that you are not weak. If you cannot beat even one of these fuckers how the hell do you think you're going to defeat Sosuke? These guys are subordinates for a reason._

Kazune scowled, letting out a sound that resembled a growl. "Fine."

She grumbled pushing herself to her feet with much difficulty. She picked up her zanpakuto and Shunpo'ed into the fight as her Hollow had demanded of her. Even if she did not want to be torn to shreds her Hollow had made a very accurate point. If she could not defeat even one of Sosuke's strongest subordinates then she was not going to be able to touch him, let alone take him down or avenge her mother and get revenge for what he had done to her and the Vizards.

Almost instantly however a kick to her shoulder threw her out of the fight. And when she got up to leap back in she saw that Halibel was standing there, blocking her path. A few experimental movements showed that Halibel was not going to let her waltz into the fight, so she Shunpo'ed around the woman at her Hollow's command.

However she was grabbed around the waist and was Sonido'ed away from the two fighting men. How she fought, kicking and screaming, she even stabbed the woman but that seemed to be of no concern because she was not released.

Halibel did not let go of the Shinigami girl until they were back in the safety of her room. Once they were there she threw her onto the floor. In her room there were no immature men who fought like animal, who acted like overgrown boys swinging their weapons around and slinging curses at each other as though those were weapons too. It was peaceful and quiet in her room, secluded and away from the idiots of Las Noches.

She took a step away from Kazune, looking her over. "Are you alright?" She asked despite the obvious.

The girls' legs were shaking and there was too much red blood staining her clothing to be good for her health. Not only that but she was standing on one leg, keeping weight off the left one and was cradling her right arm to her chest. One eye was practically swollen shut and her lip was busted. Bruises covered her neck and her breathing was shallow, as if it hurt her to do so.

"I'll be fine." Kazune told her turning away and heading for the couch. She knew she was in for a long night. Reiatsu restoration after she had gotten kidnapped had taken long enough and she hadn't really been too terribly hurt then. But now, after her and her Hollows fight and after getting tossed about like a ragdoll she was really injured.

Halibel didn't exactly think she should be extending her hand and offering to help her, since she had engaged Nnoitra and lost that battle. However her orders were to keep her in good health. "Let me help you."

The girl stopped walking and looked back over her shoulder with a shake of her head. "I don't need it." She may need the woman's help; it would certainly make the job easier. However she could not accept it. She could heal herself just fine in due time.

"Nonsense!"

She was hurt, could not use a decent amount of her reiatsu and she had the nerve to refuse her help?

Not only that but what would Aizen do if he walked through the door at this time? He would see his daughter is a very bad physical state and the consequences of that were unimaginable. No, she did not wish to imagine those consequences.

Kazune did not have an option. If she would not accept help willingly then she would have to use force. Not that it would be first time she had ever had to use force against someone however this time it was just a little bit different. "It'll be faster if you allow me to help."

"I said I don't need it." And with that Kazune Shunpo'ed out of sight, stopping on the other side of the room. She had not been ignorant of the Espadas slow advances. Kazune knew that the woman was trying to slowly get close to her and then jump when she was supposed to least expect it. She also knew that the only reason Halibel cared about her and her well-being was because she'd probably get killed if she wasn't treated like a porcelain doll.

The act of Shunpo'ing to the other side of the room started the chase. Halibel, only looking to follow orders, Sonido'ed to the side of the room that Kazune had gone to. And Kazune, refusing to accept any help, Shunpo'ed away from the woman.

* * *

Apacci, being rude enough not to knock as Sun-Sun would have, threw open the door to Halibel's room and stepped in, Mila Rose and Sun-sun close behind. Upon entering the room however they were not met with Halibel's usual cool calm and collected presence. Today it was the exact opposite truth be told.

"Hold still!" Someone shouted.

"No! N-not ther-AAHH!"

Wide eyed and frozen on the spot, the three girls exchanged looks that read 'are you seeing this too?' The exchanged look asked, 'Are you hearing this?' And from the looks of it, they were all seeing and hearing the same thing.

Three pairs of eyes were taking in the exact same sight. Three pairs of ears were hearing the same thing, each jumping to a different conclusion.

In the middle of the room was a form straddling and hunched over another form. They saw that these two forms were Halibel and Kazune. A little ways away from the pair were crumpled and bloody clothes. The form on bottom was not only naked, or so it seemed but also thrashing and flailing about, yelling and carrying on. All they could see of Halibel was her back and of Kazune, her flailing legs.

"Girls." Halibel spoke to them after they had decided to approach her and Kazune.

Neither Kazune nor Halibel were aware of what their position and words wounded like, they were oblivious, wrapped up in trying to get away and tying to heal.

"Yes?!" They asked, Sun-sun putting an arm on Apacci's shoulder, holding her back from attacking the Shinigami.

"Hold her down."

"There is no way in hell I'm-" Began Apacci as Mila Rose and Sun-sun instantly moved to obey their leader.

"Pull that nasty mind of yours out of the gutter!" Mila Rose interrupted, launching the two into yet another argument.

"Can't you see Aizen-sama's hurt and too stubborn to let Halibel assist?" Sun-sun asked pushing Apacci back and stepping between the two women who were constantly at each other's throats. They could do that at another time but right now they were needed for something more important.

"Huh?" They both looked at the girl, for the first time noticing the bandages that had been messed up and sloppily applied. They noticed the rolls and disinfectant at Halibel's side and the claw marks on her arms. Sun-sun rolled her eyes at the two of them for being so unobservant and foolish. They all knew that Halibel had a thing for Stark, or he had one for her, either way she was not into women, or Shinigamis.

And she most certainly wasn't into the daughter of the Shinigami that ruled them. That was just common sence.

After noticing this however Apacci seemed to have not a single problem helping their leader hold down her charge. And after more screaming and struggling and a few hours Halibel sat back and looked at her handiwork.

It was cringe worthy at best, the work of someone inexperienced, like a child. The bandages were loose and sloppy, some stained and others not even covering the wound.

The mess however was due to the fact that Kazune refused to sit still, she fought tooth and nail, biting and clawing when she got her hands free. And when they weren't free she thrashed about, gnashing her teeth and kicking her feet. Even though she was pinned to the floor, straddled she still refused to accept her help. They had decided to start threatening her; well Apacci and Mila Rose did at least. The threats about Aizen-sama seemed to have the best effect.

Halibel climbed off of the girl and got to her feet, nodding at her Fraccion, silently telling them that they were to release her as well. "Get some rest." She said turning and walking towards her bed. She would either clean up the mess tomorrow or have one of her Fraccion do it later. It was late and she was tired, so she was going to sleep. "You girls are dismissed."

They nodded and promptly left. It had been a good thing that they had come here for no particular reason. They could tell that Halibel wanted nothing more than to sink into her bed and sleep for a few hours. Of course they would respect that and leave the room.

Kazune trudged over to the couch, grabbed the blanket and lay down. She arranged the blanket over her and then closed her eyes. However it was not darkness and silence that greeted her. She was not yet allowed to fall into a nice sleep.

Instead she had been pulled into her inner world, onto one of the colored cubes that held everything imperfect within them. She was forced to stand face to face with a certain someone. She had been dragged in against her will.

_Are you retarded?_ Her Hollow huffed crossing her arms across her chest.

Kazune was not pleased to be here, not when she'd rather be asleep and recharging her battery. _I haven't checked recently. Why?_

_This is your perfect chance._

_Why now? I just wanna sleep._ Just like Halibel was currently doing. Kazune just wanted a little bit of sleep.

_Since when were you so damn lazy?_

Kazune was many things but lazy was not one of them. One could not try to reach perfection if one were lazy. One could not reach the level of a captain if one were lazy. But she was going to be here a while and Sosuke wasn't going to hurt her for the time being. So she more or less had all the time in the world to try to escape.

Did that make her lazy for not trying to escape right now?

Apparently it did, well according to her Hollow at least.

_Since there's always tomorrow to try?_ She guessed.

The Hollow let out a curse and scowled meanly at her_. Fool. She's going to sleep well tonight, and is expecting you to do so as well. Meaning she will not be prepared for you to get up and leave._

_Duh. I'm practically naked._

_No one cares about your state of dress…rather undress. Besides what's more important, clothes or escape?_

_Touche._ All was silent in her head for a total of a few seconds before she asked, _I take it you have a plan?_ Kazune knew that her Hollow wouldn't have bothered pulling her into her inner world had it not had a plan.

Her question earned her a grin. _Of course my dear Shinigami._

* * *

A device with red lights atop it began beeping, quietly at first, not disturbing the man who slept soundly right next to it. The device was placed on the floor next to his head; within arm's reach for if he needed easy access to it for whatever reason. Around it was a glowing Kido cage in case someone got the smart idea to sneak into his heavily guarded room and steal it.

Over the next few minutes the beeping got louder in sound and quicker in pace until it rudely awoke the man next to it.

Sitting up said man frowned heavily at the device.

Smart. He thought as he picked up the device and tucked it away.

He made sure that he looked as he always did before stepping out of his room. As he did so he saw Gin meandering down the hallway, and from farther away he could feel Tosen moving towards him as well.

Somehow he had been the last one to be awoken by the sound of the device even though he was the closest one to it.

"I'm going out." Aizen informed the silver haired man. He looked as though he had just rolled out of bed and hadn't had time to gather himself before leaving his room.

"Can I go back to bed?" Gin asked rubbing at his eyes. He did not appreciate being woken up, especially when he had been having rather pleasant dreams about a certain woman.

"No." Aizen said, changing his mind about being the one to retrieve her. She'd probably much rather Gin coming to drag her back into Las Noches. "I want you to locate and retrieve Kazune. When you have returned I want you to bring her to the meeting room."

Gin was there long enough to salute his leader before he was gone, Shunpo'ing out of the white building and into the bleak sands of Hueco Mundo.

* * *

It had been easy escaping.

Almost too easy.

But after nothing had happened after ten minutes of Shunpo'ing over the sands of the desert her fears, her suspicions and her guard had slowly ebbed away into nothing. And now she was free, feet skimming over the sands, hardly making contact she was going that fast.

It was the first time that Kazune had been outside since that fateful night and it felt divine, the air was fresh and a wind breathed life into the dead desert, lifting her spirits considerably despite her Hollow's warnings. That very wind blew through her hair, whipping around her hair and whistling past her ears.

As Kazune ran she turned her face up towards the sky to drink in the sight she hadn't had the privilege of seeing for a week or so. It just so happened that there were no clouds in sight and that the stars were out and shining beautifully, the quarter moon low in the sky and bleaching the desert beneath her feet.

And of course the white palace now at her back was steadily getting smaller and smaller. Soon it would become nothing but a dune, blending in with the white sands seamlessly.

However after fifteen minutes the collar around her neck, the one that limited her power, began vibrating against her throat. But it was about as intense as a phone that has been put on vibrate. It was nothing she could not bear, nothing she could not handle, so Kazune ignored it and pressed on, speeding up.

After she got far enough away she would find a Hollow with a decent amount of spiritual energy and then force it to take her back to World of the Living. And after the gate closed the washed out Hollow world and its colorful occupants would become nothing but a memory. At that thought her Hollow let out a growl but said nothing.

Kazune knew exactly what it was for, why it was growling. But she said nothing because she knew her Hollow knew that her and Grimmjow Jaegerjaques the Sexta Espada could not fight, not with her current weakness and not with her goal of escaping. She knew that her Hollow knew that doing so would be but a dream but only after they made it back to the World of the Living would it even give up the slightest of hopes.

Farther and farther away she Shunpo'ed, nothing but a blur of flesh and white, but the farther she strayed the more the collar buzzed against her throat, increasing in intensity. But the more intense it got the harder she tried to ignore it, the faster she pushed herself, pressing on as hard as she could. She could not stop because of some discomfort, because of some pain. She could not stop, would not stop no matter what.

But all of the sudden there was a jolt of something that felt like what electricity might if it were to shoot straight through her nervous system. As the shock resounded through her body her knees unexpectedly gave out and she began tumbling head over heels until she rolled to a stop on her back.

_What's wrong?_ The Hollow demanded, going as far as to sound just the slightest bit concerned.

_I-I don't know._

Kazune managed as that same shock was repeated, the small aftershocks of the first one having stopped for ten seconds at the very most. Down her spine it traveled as she pushed her shuddering shoulders back, forcing her spine straight and pushing out her chest as it reached the tips of her fingers. When it receded she had just enough time to let out a shaky breath, gasp desperately for air to recover from the surprise and to relax for a few seconds. Somehow she wasn't ready for the next wave when it hit and instead of straightening out Kazune curled up, bringing her knees to her chest and her arms up around those knees. Her throat tightened and her heart jarred into overdrive while her chest constricted with a feeling she did not know how to describe.

_WHAT THE HELL'S WRONG WITH YOU?!_ Her Hollow shouted, this time sounding quite concerned for the Shinigami girl who was shaking like a leaf in the deserted planes of Hueco Mundo.

"I-i…t's…the…li..-co-co…ll..ar." Kazune gasped out, the words cut into so many sylibals that her Hollow could not understand what it was she was saying, or trying to.

Fear and panic were quickly welling up inside of her as she discovered that other than the seconds between those jolts of electricity the only way she could move was the involuntary jerking of her body when it hit and her body responded. And that eliminated the option getting to her feet, or even rolling over to drag herself away from the damned place the ruler of Hueco Mundo resided. Her progress had come screeching to a stop, which frustrated both Kazune and her Hollow.

To add to her grim situation the sand beneath her slowly transformed into glass shards, digging and pressing into her bare flesh as a starving beast rips into a carcass. It was like she was no longer lying on sand but instead of pins, all pointed upwards and pricking her skin. And no matter how she tried to move, this way or that, the feeling would not go away, much to her dismay. And the wind turned into a whip that cracked against her skin audibly snapping each time it lashed out at her.

_Get up._ Her Hollow demanded the impossible.

If she could, Kazune would, she'd be on her feet and Shunpo'ing away from the accursed place at top speed.

_I cant._

Kazune managed to reply, getting past the thick emotions that were flooding her mind, the signals of pain overriding her brain not leaving much room for anything else. As she admitted that she could not get up hot tears of frustration and desperation streamed down her face. While crying wasn't something she enjoyed doing it was something that she could do when she was alone, left to her own devices. As long as no one was around crying was something she could allow herself to do.

_Why not? What's wrong with you?_

After another wave crested she quickly rushed out, "It'sthecollar." Hands reaching up to begin pulling at the collar around her throat to yank it off, to stop the vibrating and the jolts of electricity from shooting through her body, even though in the very back of her head she knew that it would not give.

Between each jolt she raked her fingers down her neck, scratching off layer upon layer of skin until there was no skin left there to peel away, across the warming metal of the limiter her fingers slid on and clawed at, trying her hardest to pull it off. During those few seconds of pain she jerked and yanked at the unyielding metal contraption, hoping it would snap off. But it would not give even the slightest bit, offering no glimmers of hope.

_What did you do?_ It asked as though what was happening was somehow Kazune's fault, as though she had brought this upon herself.

"N-nothing." She screamed, her face scrunching up, her toes curling in the shoes that had not been ripped from her body in order to get healed against her will, her dampening fingers scraping into flesh that was slickening with both tears and blood that she paid absolutely no mind to.

_Then what the he-Shit!_

_What?_

What was wrong now? What was the reason that her Hollow sounded agitated?

_Something's approaching._

The only word from that that her mind comprehended was 'approaching' and instantly her mind went to the three Shinigami, one having been sent to retrieve her. No, she couldn't be taken back, not after being so close. It was like there was a floodgate and those words, the idea that a Shinigami would be sent to get her back, it was broken open, letting all the water turn into tears and flood out of her tear ducts. Her lips got dry, her mouth cottony.

Kazune knew what real fear was.

And this was it.

_MOVE!_

The Hollow shouted attempting to break free of her confines so that she could take over Kazunes' body and save both of their asses. At this rate they would never make it out of this damn desert. She wanted to take control of Kazune so that she could get them out of dodge but the only thing they succeeded in doing was rolling over from her side and onto her back. Wide and watery eyes looked up to face their doom.

Looming high above them was a large creature that was arching up out of the sand. Its body was long and white. And within its gaping cavern of a mouth, that reminded her of a leech, there were jagged rows of sharp teeth as far as the eye could see. All it needed was to close its jaws around her and the rest would be taken care of.

And even thought Kazune knew what real fear was, that she was experiencing it more and more as the collar continued to electrocute her, she knew that not once during her entire life had she had never felt so helpless.

From its entire being came a wretched roar, globs of spit rained down on her, the ones that hit her made her skin sizzle and extracted a scream that echoed around the otherwise empty desert. Her already tight chest tightened even more and her heart felt as though it were about to pop out of her chest, like the bud of a plant out of the ground on a warm spring day. Her heart could beat no faster and she could not blast it with a cero or even reach to her side to draw her zanpakuto to protect herself and purify it.

And then all of the sudden it lunged out of the sand. As it arched through the air gravity took over and it began coming back down to earth. Its shadow fell over her, its gaping mouth falling towards her at an alarming rate. And no matter how desperately she wanted to get out of the way, no matter how much she wanted to close her eyes or turn away she could not, it was as though she was petrified.

As it neared she mentally asked herself a single question.

Why?

_Why what?_ Her Hollow snapped angrily back at her.

She was pissed that her host was just going to sit on her ass, cry a river and let them get devoured by a Hollow she knew that they were stronger than. She was not so weak that she was going to be consumed by another Hollow and become its food. However it seemed that her Shinigami was and that was more than a shame. It was intolerable to get eaten by another Hollow, one that was weaker than her none the less, but there wasn't much she could do about it. She had already tried.

After a split second debate on whether or not to reply, Kazune responded. _Why do I ever listen to you?_

She regretted going through her Hollow 'foolproof' plan. She regretted thinking that this would work and was bitter and angry because of both. She was pissed that she hadn't really succeeded in getting away for a second time. The first was understandable, the second time was just shameful and if she failed for a third time that was just unacceptable, assuming she wasn't eaten on the spot and not given the chance to try to escape for a third time.

Before her Hollow got the chance to snap back a sharp retort the other Hollow was upon them, about to scoop them up into its jaws. But even then she could not close her eyes, look away or let loose a scream. The only thing she could do was watch in fear and hope it wouldn't hurt too much as she clawed at her throat, praying that it would give away in the niche of time and that she'd be able to slice it in half and get out of this mess.

However the limiter did not give out, it kept sending its electric bolts through her body. But all of the sudden something green shot through the leech-like Hollow, impaling its body, a wretched screech of pain was let loose. The screech resounded through the air as it was knocked just the slightest bit off kilter. As it was knocked off its original path the Hollow decided that it was going to try and snag its little sitting duck of a snack, snapping its mouth closed, one of its teeth sliced the skin across her forehead.

At the moment Kazune realized just how close it had been.

But there was no time for further dwelling on the fact because almost instantly the blood streamed down into orange eyes, and though she tried blinking it away the blood was efficient in depriving her of most of her sight.

After another awful screech sounded there was sudden silence that was almost nearly as loud as the roaring beast had been.

_Shit!_ Her Hollow cursed.

The curse only made Kazune start fervently scratching at the limiter. It was slick with blood, tears and now sweat. And at the sharp tone of the voice her panic rose with the rhetorical mental question, What now?

There was a chuckle and the words "That was quite close wasn't it Little One?" The question did not reach the girls ears for she was drowning in panic and pain.

Beside her the pale skinned snake crouched down, hands reaching out and grabbing her wrists, stopping her from further mutilating her neck in her efforts to tear the limiter from her neck.

"You're quite a mess. Aizen-sama won't be very happy about this." Gin tsked, slowly shaking his head.

Tears had left drying streaks down her cheeks, her hands were bloody, the sand her around her was stained bright red and it stuck to her damp flesh. There were deep marks that marred the torn up skin around the limiter and her movements were jerky and she was flopping about as though she were a fish out of water, gasping for breath and begging for release.

Not surprisingly she didn't respond; just lay there as he closed up the wounds. Once he was finished healing Kazune he scooped her up into his arms and started back towards Las Noches.

"It's been so long since anyone has seen you cry huh?" He said, Shunpo'ing back within range of the barrier. "But it's only to be expected with how far you managed to get."

To her, the words that she managed to catch meant nothing. She could hardly understand what he was saying because of how fragmented the pieces of his speech were to her.

Aizen had prepared himself and Las Noches for anything that Kazune might try. Aizen had anticipated her somehow managing to get out of Las Noches and into the desert of Hueco Mundo. And it seemed that the Kido that had been set up had worked perfectly.

"I'm quite impressed." Gin repeated this time in a quieter voice and more to himself than to Kazune, who wasn't making much conversation given her current situation.

Once within the dome of the Kido barrier Kazune's sparodic spazing slowly stopped and she regained control of her body, her voice and of her actions. But she was drained of energy and could hardly lift a finger to fight her way out of Gin's grasp. He was taking her back to the blessed place with those damn Arrancars and of course Sosuke, their ruler. But she didn't want to go back.

"What the name of hell was that?" She croaked, eyes narrowing at her voice. It felt as though she had tried to swallow a handful of sand. Her throat was as dry as the desert they were in and her voice was as shaky as the bloody hands resting on her stomach.

"Well ya see there's been a Kido that's been set up for the purpose of not allowing ya to escape. If ya go out of the dome the limiter reacts and the farther away ya get the worse the reaction. And ya and I both know Aizen-sama didn't bring ya here cuz he missed ya."

At that Kazune scowled but did not put up a fight as she was carried back to the blasted place she had been so close to escaping from.

This of course came as a pleasant surprise to Gin, who decided it was best if he did not comment on this fact aloud.

* * *

A/N: Hello there. I hope you have enjoyed this chapter. The balls getting rolling and hopefully things will speed up w/o being too fast. Haha wouldn't want that now would we? I think this is the longest chapter as of yet! yay!

Please tell me if anyone is OOC (I will fix that right away). And if you think they are OOC then tell me how you think they might have reacted/what they might have said instead.

Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, how I can improve because I'm trying with this fic to improve my writing. Seeing how I'm trying to get better your suggestions will not be taken lightly and I'll try my hardest to listen to them and apply them to the fic and my writing.

Or just leave a normal review that not's con-crit…


	8. A Change

"Where are you taking me Ichimaru? This is not the way to Halibel's quarters. Kazune growled trying to twist her way out of the man's arms. She did not have the strength the start kicking and screaming, in fact her efforts were pitiful but she was still trying, which is what counted.

Of course she didn't know how to get to the woman's room. However she could easily deduce that he was not taking her to Halibel's room simply because it was he who had come to her rescue. Meaning Aizen had placed her in 'good' hands and had something else in mind. Something that would probably piss her off.

Gin simply laughed, grinning widely at Kazune, who he knew was getting anxious now that they weren't going to the only familiar place in Las Noches. "I know." He said looking straight ahead.

She was quiet for a second, thoughts racing. Now she was nervous, nothing good was going to come of this she could tell it already, as if Gin hadn't been enough of an indicator and the fact that she wasn't being returned to where she had been assigned to be.

"Then where are you taking me?" She demanded struggling a bit harder now.

He chuckled at her. "You'll see."

* * *

"Pardon?" Halibel asked not sure if she had heard Aizen-sama correctly. Yet at the same time there was no way she could have heard him incorrectly. Not only were his words slow, pronunciated and easy to make out but there was evidence standing right next to her in the form of the 4th Espada.

This response made Aizen smile. "You heard me." He replied feeling Gin and Kazune approaching at a leisurely pace. Kazune was sure to absolutely detest his latest decision concerning her. However not only did he not care if he were loved by his daughter or not but he could not have her harmed before she was needed.

She was his bargaining chip just in case. Yes he was prepared to have to use her against her so called family. There wasn't a thing they wouldn't do for her and he could use that to his advantage. Ichigo hadn't been the only one whose progress he had been keeping an eye on. Though it was evident he should have put a little more effort to watching Kazune as an individual and not as a part of the whole. But it wasn't too late for that now.

"Did I do anything wrong?" Halibel asked bringing Aizen back to reality and away from his scheming thoughts.

"I simply believe Ulquiorra will be better suited to this job. I believe he will do a better job at keeping Kazune in line. In addition I believe he will also not allow her to interact with the Espadas or other Arrancar, the more aggressive ones or otherwise. With Ulquiorra I believe she will not have any opportunities to escape as she so badly wishes to do. Kazune however is not content with simply wishing, she will try her hardest to make her wish or her dream a reality, meaning there can be no slip ups…"

Halibel bowed her head clearly getting the unspoken message of her ruler's response. "My apologies, Lord Aizen."

He didn't need to reply to the apology because at that moment there was a knock on the door just before it opened and in walked Gin, who was grinning per usual, and Kazune, who had her teeth sunk into his shoulder and wasn't about to let go.

Aizen was not surprised to see her struggling and attempting to get away, however he was slightly surprised to see her biting the Shinigami, something she had yet to resort to as far as he was aware. For some reason he was not surprised to see that she had injured herself, that she was bloody and bleeding slightly from wounds that could have only been created by her scratching at herself. He was also not surprised to see that she was writhing in his arms, trying to get herself free. Unfortunately her efforts, biting included, weren't impressive in any meaning of the word.

"Kazune." Aizen snapped, feeling a glimmer of satisfaction when she froze, unhooking her jaw from Gin's shoulder, blood covering her teeth, before she whipped her head his direction, her eyes darting around the room to take in the other occupants.

What is that guy doing here? She wondered. Halibel she could understand, she was the one who was supposed to have kept an eye on her and not let this kind of thing happen.

"Yes?" She asked skipping from Gins arms and turning her back to him as if he and the two Espada no longer existed. It was just her and Aizen in the room as far as she was concerned. Per usual she collected herself, standing before the lord of Hueco Mundo and two of his three of his precious minions in just her undergarments as though she were robed in royal garments for a kind and no one of lower status.

"Clothe yourself." He said taking her in. She was skinny but not unhealthily so, though they would need to start feeding her regularly, she had that same guarded look in her eyes and her zanpakuto still tied around her waist.

"Do you have a spare set for me?" She asked squaring her shoulders and lifting her head high. She was someone different in front of the man, never the real her, never revealing anything that could be used against her. Of course it didn't matter when he already knew how to make her tick. But she could always deny him the satisfaction of having succeeded. That was of course if she could hold in her anger and not explode.

"Gin." Was all Aizen had to say to the silver haired Shinigami who had frowned when Kazune decided to ignore him.

"Sure thing." He said before disappearing, leaving Kazune alone with the two Espada and the man she least trusted.

And even though she had her zanpakuto around her waist, it offered no comfort or feelings of security.

"I cannot believe you rigged that thing up to electrocute me." She snarled at him, allowing the mean scowl to surface on her mask.

What the hell was she saying? Could she really not believe that he had electrocuted her to keep her from escaping? No, she could believe it especially after everything that had happened.

Aizen let out a laugh and taking steps towards Kazune reached out for her shoulder.

But seeing this movement, seeing him lift his hand she slapped it away.

From the corner of her eye she saw the two Espada tensing up, one grabbing for their waist and the other holding up a hand, green energy collecting at the tip of a pale index finger. Another laugh resounded through the otherwise silent room before the words; "Stand down." stopped his soldier's attacks.

And then he saw the alert look in Kazune's eyes and the defensive stance she had taken up. He saw the stance she had taken up with her arms crossed over her chest, her hip jutted out with serious attitude he didn't remember ever seeing in her. She was prepared to take not only the two Espadas but also him on if it came to it.

"My dear delusional daughter I did no such thing."

"Then tell me what it was you did do." She would not accept that answer. She was not delusional, Sosuke had something. There was no way he had not.

"The limiter," He tapped the cooling, bloody, metal ring around her throat. ", has a…let's call it a limit. And once outside this limit it reacts. The limiter simply reacted, messing with your nervous system so that your senses were hypersensitive. The electrocution you say you felt was no stronger than this."

Suddenly Aizen reached out and forcefully grabbed Kazune's shoulder, shaking her enough to make her move her feet and frown even more at him.

"Oh don't give me that look. There were a few other ideas as to how to stop you if you were to escape into Hueco Mundo, and trust me-"

"Never,"

Aizen let out a laugh and completed his sentence. "-those ideas were much less pleasant."

"You think that was pleasant?!" She yelled unfolding her arms and clenching her fists.

The nerve of him! She thought indignantly.

"You appear to be in one piece-"

After hearing those words she could hardly hold in the sharply barked, "Barely!"

"And in decent health as far as I can see, so I don't see the issue here."

"Lord Aizen." A voice said ripping their attention off of the other and redirecting it towards its owner, which turned out to be the pale man with a hole at the base of his throat.

"Yes Ulquiorra?" He asked with a fake smile and a calming breath. He had forgotten that Kazune knew how to get under his skin, even if it were only just a bit.

"I believe it would be best if you were to move on."

He was instigating her and he was instigating him. They were testing each other's patience, pushing and pulling against each other's pride and pushing buttons that only the other knew of. The problem with this was the other was letting the other get to them and this little problem irritated both of them, raising tension and starting the cycle all over again. Eventually one of them would explode in the least literal sense of the word.

Aizen nodded at this suggestion and turned his sights back to Kazune. "That my dear Espada is a great idea. I called you here to shift Halibel's assignment to Ulquiorra, who will now be held liable for you, your actions and your health."

"Pardon?" Kazune nearly choked the words out after she sharply turned her head to glare into verdant eyes. It made sense now, why that man was here. It was all coming together, of course if she had seen it a bit sooner she might have been able to change the course of this conversation, convince Sosuke that it would be better if left in the woman's care. "I don't believe I-"

"You did. You see there have been too many…accidents if you will, within the past few days. At this rate you'll either succeed in escaping or get yourself killed, both things I cannot stand to happen."

If an outsider were to be listening to this conversation it might sound like a father addressing his bratty teenage daughter and wanting the best for her. However that couldn't' be farther from the reality of the conversation. Everyone in the room knew that what he was really saying was 'I cannot have you disappearing on me or getting hurt until I'm ready to use you, until I need you.'

But before Kazune could snap back a response a familiar voice said, "Here ya go Little One."

When she took the clothing from Gin's outstretched arms someone cleared their throat and almost instantly she found herself rolling her eyes but never the less muttering, "Thank you for your troubles.", as she doubled over.

_You didn't have to do that._ Her Hollow snapped as she straightened up.

_What can I say? I'm as good as a trained dog. It's an involuntary reaction. But I can't help that I was quite a rude kid, I needed training so it was training I received._

_Even after one hundred years he still has power over his little bitch._

_Shut the fuck up_. She growled. If she were not in the middle of a meeting with Aizen she'd attack her Hollow. Aizen's little bitch. The words reverberated in her head, repeating themselves over and over.

It irked her how that with the clearing of his throat she had bent to his will. That wasn't a good thing and next time, assuming there was, she would not bend, even when it came to something as simple as giving thanks and showing respect.

_Is it not true?_

_No. I'm not Sosuke's bitch. His puppet maybe, but not his bitch and don't you **EVER** call me that again._

_What a bitch?_ It sneered at her with a wide grin. If it irritated her then she'd be sure to do it more often.

_No Sosuke's bitch._ Kazune could bear being called a bitch, especially by her Hollow, in which she scowled at in order to get her point across.

The Hollow sneered back before she was brought out of her thoughts with the words, "Miss. Aizen."

"What?" She snapped, whipping her head around and searching for the one who had the nerve to address her as Miss. Aizen. Her gaze landed on the man with two green lines running down his cheeks. And when her eyes landed on him the scowl on her face deepened. "Don't call me that. If you wish to address me then address me as Kazune or nothing."

He nodded once. "I understand. Follow me." His voice was clipped, toneless and empty. It was a void that sucked all light and emotion into it and refused to relinquish what it had taken captive. The light and emotion would never be returned, never to be seen nor heard of again.

Not waiting for a response however he spun sharply on his heel and started towards the door.

"Where is it we're going?" She asked crossing her arms once again and refusing to take a step until she knew. Granted the man, no matter how scrawny he appeared to be, could probably hoist her over his shoulder and take off but that wasn't if she could help it.

So she decided to drop her arms and follow him out of the room, staying by his side even as he Sonido'ed down the hallway. It was more difficult to keep up with him but that could be because she was exhausted and her reiatsu hadn't been fully repaired, just enough so Gin could slow the bleeding to almost non-existent. But despite the fact that she was slowly falling behind she said not a word and pushed herself to stay close so that he did not have to slow down. That would be disgraceful.

"I am taking you to your cell." It was one of the smaller rooms of Las Noches but, it would serve as a holding cell to Aizen-sama's offspring. He could read her hesitation, her reluctance to follow him. Her body was resisting the urge to turn and run in the opposite direction, and if she did he was ready.

At those words she stopped short, causing Ulquiorra to stop and back track.

"What is the matter Aizen?"

"I thought I told you to call me Kazune or nothing. As for getting to our destination, what if I refuse?" She lifted her chin and looked down her nose at him, giving off a cocky air.

"I have been given permission to use any means necessary to make sure you cooperate in keeping up your well-being and keeping you safe. Do not make me use force." Even though his voice was monotonous, his tone void of emotion, there was still a threat that managed to drip off of his words. The threat was far from hollow, she fully believed his words, he would use force if it came to it.

Since he had been given permission her would use force, any means short of murdering the girl. He would be more than willing to complete the task he had been given to. It was not any old mission, protecting Aizen-sama's offspring was a task that not just any of the Arrancar or Espada could be given.

The perfect solider. Kazune bitterly thought. No emotion, no expression, a will of steel. He wanted nothing for himself as far as she could see. It was what she had aimed to become. She had reached as hard as she could to fit an image of the man in front of her had reached.

"Then force you will have to use." And with that she threw the neatly folded garments at his face and jumped into the air above him before taking off as quickly as she could, her energy magically restored. Kazune didn't question it but pushed on as fast as she could, putting as much distance as she could between the two of them.

She Shunpo'ed as though her life depended on it, and if she were to be honest it wasn't her life that was on the line but instead her sanity, which would slowly wither away if she were put back into a room like that first one she had woken up in.

_Give me some of your power._

_Do you need it?_ The Hollow lazily asked.

_Now is not the time to be stubborn dammit!_

_Talk to me like that and see how much help you get._

_Hollow._ She warned.

_Shinigami_. It mocked with a laugh. _There's nowhere to go. We're as good as a rat in a maze. Only there's no exit in this one, just endless white corridors and dead ends._

_You think I don't know that?!_ With the barrier that kept her contained to a certain amount of space and confusing hallways, she did not know if there was a way she'd be able to win this. In the end she'd be taken to that room. But not without a fight.

_Eh, you never know._

_Just help me Hollow._

_Ever consider I might have a name?_

_Not now. _Kazune mentally groaned.

_Oh? And why ever not? Your fate is the same regardless._

_I enjoy my freedom thank you very much._

_Then enjoy it while it lasts. _It spat venomously.

This unfortunately wasn't the first time this had happened, that her Hollow had brought up the subject of its name. But when it did bring up the subject it was always at the words imaginably inconvenient times, like when she was fleeing or training with the Vizards in their Hollow masks on and the clock ticking, or when she was fighting. And usually it didn't matter if her Hollow decided to protest and not lend a hand but with the limiter and her lack of power at the moment she needed the boost.

_I will._ She growled.

And with that the conversation was over.

Closer and closer the Arrancar's reiatsu got despite the fact that she was running as fast as she could, it didn't seem to matter that she was pushing herself as hard as she could. And then, after tripping over her own feet he was upon her, just in front of her, hand reaching for her with long bony fingers stretching towards her like a giraffes' neck into the sky. Without thinking she ducked under his outstretched hand and dove between his legs.

She was ready to tuck and roll when her forwards motion was jerked to a stop and then she was dragged backwards. But even with an iron grip crushing the bones in her foot Kazune clawed at the ground, leaving jagged marks just under an inch deep with smeared blood pained in the crevices on the floor.

Ulquiorra changed his grip from the bridge of one foot to the ankle of the other. Had Aizen-sama not told him to be sure that no harm was to come to his daughter he'd have broken both ankles by now to prevent her from getting any farther or attempting to run again. Pain was a good lesson and she was not exempt from this idea.

Unknown to the girl instead of getting farther from the room they were heading towards she had gotten closer, choosing to take a longer course than the one they had been on.

As he began literally dragging her towards the room a wretched sound reached his ears. Had he known what a chalkboard was and what happened when fingernails scratched down it, he'd have compared it to that sound. And while the noise grated against his eardrums it was a relief that the girl was not screaming, though she was jerking the leg he held captive, trying to tug it free from his grasp, and sporadically kicking her free leg in strategic places such as the back of his knees, what she could reach of his spinal cord and his wrist. However, her efforts were not only futile but only served to tire her. They had no effect on him.

"Where are my clothes?" Kazune asked for no reason in particular.

"You threw them at me. Meaning that they are on the floor where you took off." Unfortunately he had not the foresight to not cast aside her clothes but instead snag them before taking off after her.

Her distraction had worked for as long as it could have possibly worked; only a matter of seconds but it had bought her some time. And that knowledge made her smile.

"Will bring you another set with your next meal, which will be within the day." He informed her as though they were having a conversation and nothing was amiss.

But two could play at that. "Why do you creepers have so many sets of clothing for me?" Kazune asked almost fearing the answer.

"Aizen-sama is well prepared for many things." He surprisingly enough answered. But that was the end of the conversation.

_Can you not be dignified in your capture?_ Her Hollow growled irately at Kazune who was digging her fingers into the floor and making it harder for the Espada to drag her along. In their wake were two tracks of five jagged and bloody lines.

_Does the noise bother you?_ She sneered angrily back at her Hollow, who had not helped in even the slightest when she had most needed it.

_Just a bit._ Its voice was dripping sarcasm.

_Well then you can enjoy the silence when we get locked into that room._

_Stop your bitchin._ It snapped like an alpha wolf at its omega who had the nerve to come around.

Kazune clawed at everything, not just the floor but also at the corners, clinging to them as they were rounded until he rounded them so widely that she could not reach said corners. But even then she was not deterred, grabbing ahold of anything and everything they passed, tables, open doors, Arrancars, pieces of furniture, carts, tables, anything that would slow their progress down.

And when they passed through the threshold of a room Kazune dug her fingers into every crevice her fingers could catch ahold of. It was her last stand, so it had to count.

Her fingers were bloody, sliced and cut up by the floor that she had torn up. Her nails no longer existed, having been ground down and ripped right off. But it was a small price to pay, they would heal.

But even though she had paid the price of blood and sweat it was a battle she had lost.

She was dragged into the room with one final yank at from her ankle. Unsurprisingly the room was solid white. Once she was all the way in he released her and Sonido'ed to the door, reaching and closing it just seconds before she reached it.

Kazune let out an enraged scream, slamming her fist into the door with all the strength she still possessed. The only evidence of the impact was the flecks of blood that stained the white surface, leaving her with a feeling that resembled unsatisfied.

Her knees then chose that moment to give out and so she sunk to her knees, thankful that the only once she had been left alone did her body give out, did the exhaustion settle in and her frustration get released in the form of screams that eventually dwindled down into silence.

And when only silence dominated the room did she rest her forehead against the cool metal door, close her eyes and whisper the word,

"Shit."

* * *

**A/N:** It's a little shorted but I hope it's as good as the previous chapters or better.

Please tell me if anyone is OOC (I will fix that right away). And if you think they are OOC then tell me how you think they might have reacted/what they might have said instead.

Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, how I can improve because I'm trying with this fic to improve my writing. Seeing how I'm trying to get better your suggestions will not be taken lightly and I'll try my hardest to listen to them and apply them to the fic and my writing.

Or just leave a normal review that not's con-crit…


	9. Whatever it Takes

"Fuck!" Kazune shouted and she jerked at her ankle angrily, the clinking sound of chain links skittering across the floor and hitting each other echoed through the room.

She had been smart in her timing of trying to escape the Espada this time. She had taken many days to deliberate and plan how things would play out. She had kept a very close eye on his reiatsu and used her observations to memorize his schedule and figure out when he would be farthest from her or better yet at what times he would be unable to reach her, unable to stop her from escaping. She had worked out exactly how it was she was going to get back to the world of the living without raising too much noise.

And then, when things began falling into place as she had planned, Kazune had executed her plan.

Of course this was after two careless and rather impulsive plans that she hadn't thought through.

One of the plans was due to the door that the Espada usually walked through with one of her meals of the day, the door that usually locked with a loud click that reverberated throughout the room, reminding her that she had no escape route, had not clicked as it should have. And after finding that the door had not been locked she had thrown caution, planning and logic to the wind and had made a mad run for it.

That not so bright moment did not last long for the black haired Espada had been quick to notice his mistake and even quicker to retrace his steps and rectify his mistake. Unfortunately he had to hunt her down before he could.

Her other not so smart plan was to simply cut the door down and run like a bat out of hell.

Again the result was the same.

However the plan she had taken her time on, though a failure in the end, had been a success. She had fled from her room as she had the past two attempts, only that time she had a target in mind. It was a weak Arrancar with green hair and sharp nails.

Thankfully he had been easy to over power and force into opening the gate to the World of the Living. The feeling of stepping out into the blue skies of that world was a feeling she would never forget. The color, the sound, the brightness, her joy, just everything had overwhelmed her senses and for a moment she had lost herself in them.

However she was quick to recover her wits, her Hollow being the one to thank for that, telling her that she could enjoy herself at a later time.

With the regaining of her composition she turned towards the green haired Arrancar, thanked him for freeing her and then had cut him down, silencing him so that he could not return to the Hollow world and tell Sosuke of what had happened. She could not have them knowing until it was too late. With her weak reiatsu it would be hard for them to find her.

Or so she had thought.

The black haired Espada had joined her in the skies of the Human World not five minutes later, waves of déjà vu crashing over her when he calmly demanded that she come with him of her own free will or he would have to use force.

Of course Kazune being herself, she had chosen the hard way. She was not so close but instead exactly where she wanted to be and she had not been about to let them take her back to hell. So she had fought to the best of her abilities.

In retrospect fighting had not been her best decision. But he had not taken her to the edge of death. In fact the Espada had merely subdued her and taken her back to the Hollow World. He had not taken her to Sosuke, Gin or even Tosen, but instead to the room that had become hers.

And now she was chained to the back wall of said room, had been for what was it now, a week? Her newest living conditions were courtesy of the pink haired Espada, Szayel was his name according to the green eyed Espada, who surprisingly had a name, Ulquiorra she recalled it being. She had somehow convinced him that it was good for her mental health if he stayed with her while eating; provide her a bit of company.

That had caused him to sit next to her on the couch. She had convinced him that part of him providing company was conversation. And so they began to talk. The conversations were short, Kazune doing most of the talking, rather yelling because she got tired of his monotonous voice and one worded responses too quickly and was quick to explode on him.

The days after that were much the same. He would come in with food, she would eat, they would 'talk', she'd get pissed and start shouting. He'd then take her food and leave without saying a word. She would then settle down and do anything that she could to occupy herself. Sometimes it was practicing movement, the art of her sword or entering her inner world to converse with her Hollow or Naitomeashinga. Other times she would just sprawl out in the middle of the floor and stare emptily at the celling or Shunpo laps around the room.

Even though Kazune despised the chain that tethered her down that kept her from going so far she was thankful that its length was considerably long, allowing her to come within inches of the door and even allowing her to utilize the space above her head, but only a small fraction of it.

The links unfortunately were strong and no amount of yanking, jerking or prying of the said links paid off. She now had to be cautious of her movements, careful not the trip over or tangle herself up in the tether.

"Fuck! Fuck!" Kazune roared, getting louder and louder as she cursed repeatedly each time jerking her leg forwards sharply, reaching the chains limit with each kick. Just because this hadn't worked the first million times she was hopeful that eventually it would work. Kazune figured that if she kept working on the chain that eventually one link, for that's all she needed, would crack and then give way and she'd be free; from the chain that is. She would then have to figure a way out of the room and Sosuke's realm.

_Just cut it. You have a sword use it._ Her Hollow whispered into her ear like the serpent to Eve to eat from the forbidden tree, trying to seduce her into listening to its suggestions. The sudden noise from the being physically startled Kazune, snapping her out of the random thoughts that were consuming her mind.

She sat up and then got to her feet with a thoughtful frown on her face. With no one around she was rather open. Even with Ulquiorra around she was still much more open than she would be if it were Sosuke or one of the other Shinigami.

She was disappointed that she had not yet thought of simply cutting the chain. Oh how the Vizards would mock her, Hiyori and Kensei especially. Mashiro might giggle at her and Rose and Love snicker but not a single one of them would let her live it down.

It couldn't hurt to try could it? Kazune wondered examining the chain. It looked normal enough. The worst that could happen was that she would fail and the chain would not be broken.

Or at least that's what she thought as she slowly drew her zanpakuto. She lifted Naitomeashinga over her head, both hands gripping the hilt, her knuckles turning white and paused.

Before she brought the blade down upon the chains links she uttered a swift prayer to any higher power that might be willing to listen to her.

She did not want to say this, for it was painful to admit, but Sosuke was close to winning. Whether or not he knew it, each day that passed and she could not break free, or figure out a way to do so, the closer he was to breaking her will and dashing all hope. Ulquiorra was so close to getting what he wanted, an easy to deal with charge.

Each day as she occupied her body her mind was spinning plan after plan, trashing some and modifying others. But none of them would really work; there was no way most of them could. Sitting there daydreaming and wishing on shooting stars wasn't going to better her situation at all, which was why she was trying to figure out a way to take action.

But reality was impending, pushing at the edge of her thoughts, trying to set in and tell her that there was no way she would be able to get out of this hellhole. Reality was trying to get the message across that the only way she would get out was if the Vizards were to come, otherwise she was screwed.

Hopelessness had already taken up residence in her mind, making her desperate to get out before it fully bloomed and crushed her will and spirit, her determination to get out of here and not be used like the lowly pawn in the game of chess.

If this didn't work she didn't know what she was going to do. She could not dig her way out with a pair of chopsticks or use even a decent amount of her reiatsu to aid her in her escape.

So she put all of her heart and soul into this one swing, using all of her strength and focusing all her reiatsu on the sealed blade as she brought it down, slicing through the air and heading for a link close to the manacle around her ankle. As she did this she squeezed her eyes shut and hoped for the best.

But the sound that reached her ears was not the sound of her blade slicing through the chain and its pieces falling away but instead of something shattering and falling to the floor. And when she opened her eyes she stood there with a horrified expression on her face.

_That's not good._ Her Hollow murmured. But Kazune hardly heard the comment.

Kazune's chest constricted, her blood pounded in her ears, her body shaking and her eyes wide with shock and horror.

It was in this state that Ulquiorra found the Shinigami girl hours later.

Seconds after entering the room he understood the situation; he knew what she had tried to do. He approached her in the same manner as always and said, "You must eat Miss. Aizen."

However she did not respond, not even to the Miss. Aizen, something she constantly snapped at him not to call her. He was supposed to address her as 'Kazune or nothing', or so she had repeatedly told him.

"Your zanpakuto will repair itself in due time. Now come, eat." He said stepping in front of the Shinigami girl, brushing the fragments of her zanpakuto aside with his foot.

This seemed to snap her out of her trance because she glowered at him and spat the words, "What's the point? I'd rather sit here and wither into nothingness than go along with Sosuke's plans."

The next half hour was not so pleasant for Kazune, who had the privilege of experiencing what it was like to have food forced down ones throat.

That half hour, those thirty minutes were nothing short of Hell. And she did not wish to repeat it again.

When the food was gone Ulquiorra swept out of the room without so much as a backwards glance, having achieved his mission.

After that Kazune ate under the watchful green eyes of Ulquiorra. Even the slightest sign of resistance or reluctance to eat had him reminding her that he had been given permission to use any means necessary to fulfill his mission.

While she was not eating, Kazune was spending her time sitting with what remained of her zanpakuto stabbed into the ground before her crossed legs, meditating.

"Listen child I do not blame you. My power's been weak since the limiter harnessed your power."

Kazune lifted her chin and looked up at Naitomeashinga. Over its lithe body hung a black robe that resembled the Shinigami's uniform, around its waist was a bright orange sash. "A-are you serious?" Usually the spirit was not so kind. It was more irrational, mean, chomping at the bit and ready to take off her head even though she had learned its name and defeated it in battle. In fact Naitomeashinga was everything she would be if she tore down all walls, unlocked all of her barriers and broke all of the stone she had surrounded herself with.

"You know I do not joke. Now get off your knees. It's improper for the proud master to fall to their knees before its servant." Sharp fingertips were placed under Kazune chin, tilting her head up, slowly bringing her to her feet. A strong wind blew. "Don't give up hope. Blessings are often hidden behind a-"

**BAM!**

An external noise cut off the spirits sentence and broke Kazune's concentration, returning her to reality before Naitomeashinga could finish its sentence.

"It's been a while Princess."

Who the hell was he calling princess? It most certainly wasn't her.

She was in no way a princess. But instead of correcting him she asked,"What do you want Grimmjow?" She growled narrowing her eyes at him. He had decimated the door and a large area around it and judging from the expression on his face he was quite pleased with the amount of destruction he had caused.

"I got bored." He said with a shrug as though that explained exactly what it was he was doing here.

"I don't believe I'm the best form of entertainment." She looked over her shoulder and out of the window. It was daytime out as of now, the sun not quite at its summit. Nonchalantly she informed the Espada, "Ulquiorra will be here shortly." From one of their conversations she had learned of Ulquiorra's relationship with the other Espada, and he did not like Grimmjow, nope not at all. And a fight between the two was the last thing she needed to happen when she was chained to a wall.

"So you don't wanna get outta here?" He asked with this smug sneering look on his face as he crossed his arms across his chest and looked down at her.

Unable to stand the thought of him doing standing over her and looking down on her Kazune grabbed her zanpakuto, sheathed what remained of it and rose to her fullest height. Unfortunately that was still a head shorter than him and she still had to look up, and he still got the privilege of looking down on her.

"That's my goal." She replied.

He then smiled, letting out a barky laugh. "I ain't the enemy here Princess. Just say the word and I can free ya. But if ya don't want my help I won't bother." He then turned slightly away, making it seem like he was about to walk away. In reality he just wanted her to make a decision. Sometime today would be nice.

"What do you gain from this agreement Sexta?" If he insisted on calling her Princess she'd call him Sexta, a title he seemed proud of. When he stopped calling her princess, something she most certainly was NOT, then she'd stop calling him Sexta. It was a fair deal even if he didn't know he had made it.

He uncrossed his arms and turned towards her once again, placing his hands on his hips as he leaned forwards, lowering himself to her level. They engaged in a brief staring contest before Grimmjow reached out and ruffled her brown hair. "No need to be so damn suspicious. All I get is some entertainment. That's all I want."

Kazune game him an irritated look as she knocked his hand off of her head. "My freedom for your entertainment, that hardly seems fair." Agreements like this only worked if the terms were fair. If they weren't then someone could say something about owing them and she refused to allow herself to owe anyone in this forsaken place.

"Ya want outta here or not?"

She nodded once and sealed the deal. He had very specifically said to say the word and so without hesitation she said it, "I do." Kazune wanted out so badly it hurt. She wanted to shunpo around until she couldn't move her legs. With the stupid chain and manacle she was like a dog on a chain and she was not a dog.

"Now the first thing we're going to do when we get you outta here is,"

_Fight!_ Her Hollow exclaimed. The very first thing it wanted to do was fight. She didn't need the Zanpakuto the Shinigami's full power. She just wanted to fight, stretch her muscles and see what he could do.

",is that that collar off of you and then we'll see your true power." At the mere thought a smile broke out across his face. It was a smile that sent most people running away in fear for their lives, but one that had her Hollow fantasizing about the thoughts that must be going on behind those blue eyes of his. That smile meant nothing but trouble for her but Kazune didn't care if it got her out of this room, out of Ulquiorra's clutches.

_So close Shinigami. I can almost taste it. Can you?_

"Shush." Kazune hissed at her Hollow, having gotten back into the habit of talking to it aloud. But when your only company was a voice in your head, a spirit of a sword and an emotionless minion of your father, one needed a little bit of noise to break the unbearable silence. "Even with the collar off I won't be able to fight like this." And by like this she meant with a broken Zanpakuto.

"That's fine. I'm sure you're good for more than just fighting Princess." He lightly tapped her cheek before bending over and picking up the chain at her feet. With both hands he tested it.

Either she was so weak that she couldn't break it, the collar had that much of an effect on her or she hadn't even bothered trying to break it. The metal was nothing extremely special, nothing impressive or impossible to break either.

"That's not going to," She impatiently began only to be interrupted half way through her sentence by a 'snap' and the 'tink' of metal hitting the hard white ground. The chain falling to the ground was the exact same sound Naitomeashinga had made when its fragments had fallen to the floor, the blade shattered. ",work." Kazune dumbly finished. He had made it look so easy yet she had tried her hardest, even resorted to using her sword.

Grimmjow flashed the stupefied girl a smug grin but before he could say anything on the matter she snapped back and sharply said, "If you can break that then finish the job." She nodded to her feet where there was still the manacle and a few links were still attached.

"Not now Princess." And with that rather sudden response he grabbed her around the waist, pulling her close to him, and then Sonido'ed away.

"And why not?" She asked with a frown. Obviously he couldn't do anything mid-flash step however he could have easily taken care of it had he stayed still two seconds longer.

"We got other things to worry about." Despite his words he did not sound worried, simply annoyed.

"Like Ulquiorra?" Kazune grumbled, wrapping her arm around his head, the only thing she could hold on to at the moment. Her side was practically glued to his so she could not wrap her legs around any part of him and he only had one arm around the curve of her waist.

"The bastards fast." Grimmjow cursed. He hadn't been there a full ten minutes and he had been wise enough to try and conceal his reiatsu.

Judging by the tone of his voice he hadn't anticipated this. And it made Kazune wonder just what she had gotten herself into. It also made her question how much thought he had put into this little scheme. "Did you not plan this out?!" The horror was evident in her voice as she shouted her question.

"Not past kidnapping you." He answered honestly. There was no real reason to have bothered with planning. After all he was only kidnapping her so that Ulquiorra would get pissed, seek him out and he could enjoy a good battle. And if that failed he'd have a bit of fun with Aizen's daughter. This was a win-win situation for him.

"Fuck!" Kazune then smacked him on the back of the head. "Are you mentally retarded?!"

He had to be.

He was one of Aizen's subordinates so hopefully he knew his fellow Espada enough to know that Ulquiorra was a very intelligent man with considerable strength. Alluding him would take planning, time and a lot of thinking, all things that the blue haired man had obviously not taken time to do. Obviously he was acting on impulse and had thought very little, if at all about his actions and their consequences. He obviously underestimated the enemy. And anyone stupid enough to underestimate the enemy was most certainly mentally retarded, and if not retarded had a death wish.

"Bitch I told you I was bored." He growled returning the favor and smacking her.

"Sexta, I am not the cure to the disease!" Yes she was free but now she was stuck with this dimwit. And that might not be a good thing.

Strong but dim, never a good combination.

"I beg to differ. Ya cured it last time." A few seconds later he threw open what seemed to be a random door, threw Kazune into the darkness and said, "Hide or mask your reiatsu if ya wanna keep your freedom. If not do whatever the hell ya want." And then with that he slammed the door shut, blocking all but a small sliver of light, and Sonido'ed away at top speed.

* * *

Approaching Kazune's room it was obvious something was not right. The gaping hole in the wall was not the only indication, truth be told the broken wall was of no concern. It was the lack of Kazune's reiatsu and Grimmjow's lingering reiatsu that rose alarm.

Calmly he set her tray of food down on the table at the end of the couch and then rushed out of the room with urgency. Seeing how she had been abducted by Grimmjow it meant that her health and well-being were in great danger. There was no telling what he might decide to do to or with her. All that was for certain was that the less time she was in his hands the better off she'd be.

He was what one might call a safety hazard to Kazune and her health. And, with joy, he would get rid of the threat the trash posed to Aizen-sama's daughter.

Unable to sense her reiatsu he settled on tracking Grimmjow, using his reiatsu.

And soon enough he found him leaning coolly against a wall, his arms folded across his chest and a wide, pleased with himself grin plastered on his face.

He would not be grinning for long. Ulquiorra thought.

"Where is she?" He coolly asked, slowly approaching the blue haired Espada.

"Where is who?" The man in question asked pushing away from the wall he had decided to settle against. "You're gone and lost Aizen's little Shinigami haven't you?" He let out a laugh.

"Hand her over." He did not bother saying anything resembling 'and I will spare you' or 'I won't harm you' because he knew that it was a fight the man wanted. Though it was a fight he didn't want to deliver. Since Kazune was not with Grimmjow it raised the question, where was she? And he could not have her wondering around Las Noches when she wasn't even at a quarter of her full power.

"Or else what? You'll force me to?" Once again Grimmjow let out a laugh. "Go ahead and try." He even opened his arms widely, as though accepting a hug. However Ulquiorra did not rise to the challenge, he was not to be baited by trash into a fight that didn't need to take place.

"What is the purpose?"

"Of what?"

"Taking her."

"She wanted to come with me. She ain't happy in that small little room with only you as her company." Neither of them gave two shits about her supposed happiness. But Grimmjow cared about his and that's all that mattered to him.

"That is of no concern. My mission is to keep her healthy, not happy. Now I will ask you only once more, where is Aizen Kazune?"

"Gonna beat the answers out of me?" He mocked. "I'd like to see you try." Again he tried baiting the steely Espada into making the first move. And this time it seemed to work.

"If you insist. Very well then."

And with those words Grimmjow lunged at Ulquiorra, an eager and sadistic smile stretching across his face, the complete opposite of Ulquiorra's flat line expression. He pulled back a fist and was more than happy to let loose.

His opponent moved only enough to single handedly stop his attack. He had no interest in this fight, it was only giving the girl more time to either escape or trouble to run into.

Grimmjow however was undeterred by this, charging a blue cero in the palm of his other hand, which he reared back and prepared to fire at Ulquiorra.

* * *

"The Sexta and the Quatro Espada are fighting. I wonder what for." Gin asked with a small chuckle. But before Aizen could answer, saying that it was nothing and probably because Grimmjow wanted a fight he couldn't win Gin asked another question, this one nothing but him musing over things aloud. "I bet they've become so infatuated and enamored with your daughter that they're willing to tear each other apart and fight to the death for her."

"I highly doubt that." A new voice rang out strong and very sure in their answer. The owner of this voice seemed to take the men by surprise, meaning that neither of them had noticed her approaching, which was a good thing, exactly what she had been aiming for.

"My my little one how on earth did you get out of your cage?" Their surprise was made evident with this question, once again asked by none other than Gin.

"That does not matter. But I have not come to fraternize with you Ichimaru."

"No?" His usual smile dropped a fraction of an inch. "Well that's too bad." He even went as far as sounding slightly disappointed by this.

"May I ask what it is you're doing here?" Aizen asked stepping into their banter, into the pointless conversation they were having.

Kazune shifted her attention to the reason she had been bothered to leave the room that had been promised to give her freedom, one of the things that she wanted most. She wanted to be free of this place, of Sosuke's grasp and manipulation and that was the reason for the visit. But regardless she merely asked in a cool voice, "Am I not allowed to pay a visit to my father?"

"That would be perfectly acceptable if it weren't for the very well-known and made quite obvious fact that you detest me." She was up to something. She desired something. Kazune was here for anything but to simply 'pay her father a visit'.

"Detest isn't a strong enough word Sosuke." She spat at him with venom that could melt flesh and people flinch away. "But that is beside the point."

"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly the point of your visit dear?"

"My arrangements, I want them changed." It was not a question, not a request but instead a demand. She would not settle for no or any vague implications of the word. Kazune refused to be returned to the care and hands of the emotionless Ulquiorra. She would not allow herself to be chained to another wall, taking away her power was enough. Her spirit would not be broken again; she would not let Sosuke have that power over her.

This statement was a long time coming, not the least bit surprising. Kazune and Ulquiorra did not get along, as shown by Ulquiorra during his reports after her meal time, after the time they shared together. The reports were his way of keeping an eye on his daughter and her well-being. It did not go without saying that she was quite amusing, very entertaining. Kazune was oh so different when her guard was down and she was not showing the side of her she thought he wished to see.

Sosuke did not seem at all surprised by this statement, this demand. He merely raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is that so?"

"Yes. I have thought long and hard about this and I think this would be the best." In reality she was acting on impulse and being quite rash.

She did not know the blue haired Espada not very well at least, there was no promise that after a day or even a few minutes, that they would not be ready to tear each other limb from limb. There was no promise that they'd get a long or that they'd like each other.

But he was the one who had extended his hand, and though Kazune wasn't usually one to accept the extension this time she grabbed on, holding tight with all her might, she would not let go.

"Tell me, what is it you have come up with?" He was intrigued, curious as to what it was she would 'ask' him for. Surely it was weighing on her chest. If not then she would have not approached him.

Kazune must really want this. He thought to himself with an internal smile.

She lifted her chin up higher and then asked her question. "I will cease all attempts of escape if you place me in the hands of Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, the Sexta Espada."

* * *

**A/N: **I have been trying to take your reviews to heart. I hope this chapter is better and that things are picking up. I'm working on that, really I am. I've got point A and point B and only a vague idea as to how i'm going to connect the two. Sorry.

Please tell me if anyone is OOC (I will fix that right away). And if you think they are OOC then tell me how you think they might have reacted/what they might have said instead.

Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, how I can improve because I'm trying with this fic to improve my writing. Seeing how I'm trying to get better your suggestions will not be taken lightly and I'll try my hardest to listen to them and apply them to the fic and my writing.

Or just leave a normal review that not's con-crit…


	10. Counting Victories and Losses

Gin tried to hold it in really he tried. But after a few seconds of silence interrupted only by the sounds of his efforts he managed to swallow the laughter down and asked, "You say you've thought long and hard?" Those words sounded ridiculous; there was no way she had thought anything through. But yet she had sounded so serious.

And with that he erupted into a fit of hysteria, much to Kazune's annoyance.

But she nodded her head once and replied even though he was mocking her. "I have. And I believe it is a good compromise."

"A compromise indeed." As far as he was concerned there was no need to put her in anyone else's care. She was doing just fine in Ulquiorra's hands she was perfectly healthy. Kazune had yet to succeed in getting out as she had done with Halibel.

"Would it not be easier for you if I were to stop fighting you with everything I've got?" The question had a very obvious answer to it. Sosuke's life would be a hell of a lot easier if she stopped trying to fight him, if she stopped causing him headaches and taking his attention and thoughts off of the 'important' things, whatever those might be.

This question made Sosuke nod, a small smile upon his lips. Perhaps he could use this to his advantage.

Of course knowing the two in question throwing them together would not be good. But maybe opposites would attract and they would cancel each other out, causing him less headaches and giving him less things to be concerned about, like the number of holes in Las Noches that needed to be repaired. This was no promise however and things could backfire, their personalities would grate against each other's until one or both of them snapped and an even bigger mess would be created.

Aizen however was more than willing to take that risk. There were far more things that could go right than things that could go wrong.

"You might have a point." Aizen slowly responded.

This however did not make her smile victoriously, as he thought it might, but instead made her scowl fiercely at him. "Of course I do. I do not do senseless things." Off the top of her head she could name several differences that contradicted her verbal statement. But Sosuke didn't have to know, white lies never hurt anyone too badly.

"Very well then." He was curious to see how things would work out. "Consider this a trial run. You will have one week with Grimmjow."

Sosuke's words struck the match of hope within her heart; it felt good burning there within the deepest corners of her heart. "And at the end of those seven days?" And even though her hope was renewed Sosuke had given her what she wanted too easily. There had been no struggle, no argument, not fight, nothing.

So instantly her thought jumped to the question, was there any way he could twist my request into something that could benefit him?

"If things go well I suppose there's no harm in allowing you to be left in his care. But be careful, he's the destructive type."

What he left unsaid was, 'he might end up destroying you'.

However Sosuke Aizen was not the only one to let things go unsaid.

Maybe that's the point. Kazune mentally responded.

* * *

Kazune raced ahead of Sosuke, who was taking his sweet time to reach the Espada's fight. Gin and Tosen however were on either side of her, scaring off any Arrancar or Espada they brushed past. Both men were keeping up with Kazune's top speed with ease.

"Do not interfere with the Espada's battle." Tosen directly ordered as they drew nearer and nearer to their reiatsu getting more and more suffocating, more and more overwhelming for Kazune. But the worse it got the larger her smile became. She loved the way it felt pushing down on her, the way it stirred her Hollow and excited it like nothing else ever had.

Sure she had faced strong opponents, and sure Kensei, Hachi, Hiyori, Rose, Love, Mashiro and Shinji had reiatsus that were just as strong, worse when fully released, but there was something about the Espada's reiatsu that excited her like nothing else would ever excite her again.

"Why would I do such a foolish thing?" She asked with a laugh.

Kazune wouldn't mind Ulquiorra getting killed; however she had little faith in Grimmjow, even though he was strong and had overbearing reiatsu.

Her question went unanswered. Neither men bothering to explain why they thought she might jump in between two of the strongest men of Aizen's army.

So she asked another. "So how do you plan on stopping them?" Simply telling them to stop was going to be a method that would not work, would never work in a million years. And getting their attention would be pretty hard.

Again no one answered her question. But this time it was because they had reached her destination. They stood there, facing the two Espada who were going at each other like two wolves fighting for the right to be the alpha.

For but a minute they merely watched the pair but then the girl in the middle of the two Shinigami disappeared having spotted an opening in their fight.

One just big enough for her to slip into.

This brought Grimmjow's fun to an end and Ulquiorra's search to an abrupt end.

Ulquiorra's charging green Cero dissipated just inches from her chest and Grimmjow's kick had too much momentum to be stopped, even if he had wanted to stop himself, which he didn't, he wouldn't have been able to do so. So his kick was stopped by the dark skinned shinigami who glared fiercely and coolly said, "I told you not to interfere." Surprisingly enough it wasn't Grimmjow he was addressing.

Kazune mocked an apologetic shrug with a grin. "What can I say? You didn't answer my question and so I improvised. After all I don't want you to hurt Sosuke's precious Espada." Honestly she was doing it to piss someone off. She didn't exactly care if it were Gin, Tosen, Ulquiorra, Sosuke or even Grimmjow who it was who fell victim as long as it was someone.

"What is the meaning of this?" Ulquiorra asked hardly sparing Grimmjow or Kazune a glance, but instead focusing on his superiors, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen.

Grimmjow smirked and hooked one arm around the girl's waist and roughly pulling her against him. And as she stumbled back he sneered, "She's mine." All his to what he pleased with, to fight with as often as he wanted.

He could do whatever the fuck he wanted with her, she was his and he'd like to see the bastard Shinigami's tell him otherwise.

"I'm pleased to hear that you've taken a liking to my daughter." A new, far too familiar voice said.

But before Grimmjow could reply, before he could even inhale the breath it would require to utter a sound, before he could say something wrong Kazune elbowed him sharply in the stomach. That was before she reached her arms up and gave him a backwards hug. Kazune even ran her fingers through his blue hair. "That's right. I'm all his. Trying to get me back is futile. He won't give me up that easily."

Green eyes shifted to Aizen questioningly. Those two had not interacted with the other post them delivering her to Aizen-sama. So them claiming each other was ridiculous. It was stupid and there was no way Aizen-sama would go with it. Their attraction was most likely animalistic, instinctual at the very best. There was no reason to put them together, to allow Kazune to spend even a second with the trash. Nothing good would come of it; Aizen-sama had to know that.

However he did not shoot the two of them down. He did not dash their hopes or put an end to their display. Instead he turned towards him and without faltering said, "It's an experiment. For this week she will be in Grimmjow's care. If things do not…work out she will be returned to your care."

He had something he was not saying, a plan of sorts. Ulquiorra concluded.

As Sosuke and the unnaturally pale Espada spoke Kazune turned her head to the side and none to gently yanked his head down so that her lips ghosted the shell of his ear. "Don't screw this up Sexta." She hissed into his ear.

"I'll do whatever the hell I please Princess."

"Then you had better be pleased when you don't screw this up." She instantly growled back. "Don't forget you promised me freedom."

"You promised me a fight."

"And a fight you shall have Sexta."

"Grimmjow." Aizen said calmly before he could respond to Kazune's last statement. Both heads whipped in his direction. "I do not want the limiter removed. If it is Kazune will be taken from your care."

Fuck. They cursed mentally. That's exactly what they had both been planning on doing. Rip it off and then race outside and fight each other until they could not move.

She knew it was coming, a curse word or so and him saying that he'd do whatever the fuck he wanted to do. And if he didn't say those words exactly he'd find some way to blow off Sosuke's order. So without a thought she grabbed his chin and slammed her mouth against his.

Blue eyes widened with shock, he hadn't perceived her as 'that type'. But before he could start to fight for the dominance she currently possessed she pulled away and then calmly addressed Aizen as though nothing had happened. "Got it."

And then with that they were gone in a flash, go so suddenly that there was no time to stop them with words or actions. None of them had expected them to leave on such a short notice, though they should have.

"Why?" Ulquiorra asked. He was unable to figure out exactly what it was Aizen-sama was up to. And while it did not particularly matter his charge's well-being was at stake. It was more than that; it was her life, her sanity. There was no way that Grimmjow would be able to handle her without erupting and ruining the plans that included her.

"Do not worry my dear. He will not succeed." And with that Aizen turned away from the questioning Espada and Shunpo'ed away, a small and sinister smile on his face.

Kazune and Grimmjow had another thing coming to them if they thought that the next seven days would be easy for either of them.

* * *

Kazune was very disoriented when they came to a stop. All she knew was that her back was pressed against a wall and she was looking up at the blue haired man as she tried to regain her bearings. He was looming over her, an arm placed just above her head and him leaning over so that their foreheads were inches from touching.

But despite her position she looked up at him.

Ya know he's not too bad looking. She couldn't tell if it was the voice at the back of her head or her Hollow talking. But either way she gave her head a firm shake to dislodge that rather disturbing thought.

"Do you mind?" Kazune asked with a frown. There was no reason he was this close to her with that sneering look on his face. She had done nothing to him and it was obvious it wasn't a fight he was looking for at the moment.

"Am I bothering you?" Grimmjow sneered the question, the infuriating smirk on his face growing.

So badly she wanted to find a way to remove it from his expression. But before she got the chance to respond, to wipe that smirk from his face, a rough hand captured her chin in its grip before forcing it up. No sooner had the back of her head hit the wall harsh lips slammed against hers, teeth gnashing at her lips until she let out a cry of pain, music to his ears.

He had a point to prove, a lesson to teach the girl. Never again would she have the upper hand on him. He would not be dominated by someone beneath him.

The blood touched their tongues and the metallic taste exploded in their mouths, so overwhelming when combined with the sensation of rough tongues wrestling for control.

The hand that had gripped her chin had slipped down to her shoulder and now roughly held it, pushing her against the wall. Later there would be black and blue marks as well as soreness that would remind the both of them of this struggle. Calloused hands pushed against a strong, muscled chest but the action was hardly noticed.

Only once Grimmjow knew that he had won, that he had made his point, did he pull away, wiping the back of his hand across his lips, smearing the blood with a triumph smirk.

Not bothering to react with angry and breathless words Kazune pulled back her fist and let lose, aiming to punch him square in the jaw. Only he caught her fist in his hand with ease, his hand encasing her fist. So she reached across her body and grabbed her zanpakuto's orange hilt and unsheathed what was left of it.

Blue eyes took in the few inches that remained of the blade. The few seconds during the observation was eerily quiet. But then the hall erupted into sound as Grimmjow howled with laughter. "What's that going to do?" Did she really think that broken thing was going to do anything?

With that challenge she swung at him, the jagged side of the blade swiping across his cheek, leaving a deep gash that gushed black blood. "Don't you ever do that again." She assumed that he had done that to make up for earlier, only he had taken it to a completely different level.

_Don't tell me you didn't see it coming._ Her Hollow said.

"Shut up. Whose side are you on anyway?"

_Yours naturally. However you must be blind if you didn't see it coming._

"Then why the hell didn't you warn me?"

The hollow just shrugged.

Grimmjow was silent, listening to the girl's one sided conversation. She was a strange one indeed. But she would certainly be fun to have around. But he had known that before he had decided to break her free. "Who are ya always talkin to?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She growled with narrowed eyes glaring at him as she sheathed Naitomeashinga.

"I asked ya the damn question because I fuckin' wanted to know who the hell it is you're always talkin' to."

"Who's to say it's not merely a figment of my imagination?" Kazune retorted.

When it became evident that she was not going to answer his question he grabbed her around the waist, hoisted her over his shoulder and then Sonido'ed to his room.

She did not appreciate being thrown about so much and made her feelings obvious.

Only he didn't care what she did or didn't like and he in turn made that as clear as day.

And that launched them into an intense staring contest which didn't have a winner because there was a knock on the door and they broke eye contact to see who it was.

"Oh. It's just you." Grimmjow grumbled upon seeing that it was only the silver haired Shinigami. He was glad that it wasn't Tosen who had been sent to his room.

"Yup just me." He grinned. "I just stopped by to see how you're settling in." Gin said as though he were interrupting nothing at all.

She glared at him as she had Grimmjow. "I am doing fine thank you." She could not believe that Sosuke had sent Gin to come check on her! She was not a child who needed close monitoring, even while being with Grimmjow.

"What happened?" He asked lifting a hand up to point to his lips.

"I merely tripped down some stairs." She hadn't a clue where that lie came from or why it was she was covering for the bastard. No she knew why she was covering for him, it was because he had promised her freedom and he couldn't keep the promise he had made her if she were taken out of his care.

This lie caused Gin to chuckle. "Be more careful Little One."

"I will." She nodded. Careful was something she was going to have to be if she hoped to stay alive, to keep her freedom and to pass this next week with flying colors.

"And Grimmjow, what happened to you? That's a pretty deep cut. Did you cut yourself?" Gin asked turning his closed eyed glance towards the blue haired Espada.

"Is that all?" Grimmjow irately asked crossing his arms across his chest. He didn't need a reminder of the fact that tough the bitch hadn't managed to punch him she had managed to cut him with a broken sword. He'd get even with her, he knew that for sure. She would not get away scotch free.

"As rude as always." He tsked with a shake of his head. He was just trying to be friendly but it seems that Grimmjow couldn't return the favor. "I'll see ya 'round." And with that he was gone from the doorway.

With grandeur and a bored expression and tone of voice he swept his arm across the room and said, "So this is my room."

It was very different from Halibel's. Kazune noted looking around. It wasn't near as impressive. And she was surprised that there were no severed heads on pikes anywhere in the room. Hell she was surprised that it wasn't blood red. In fact dirty, shredded and torn clothes lay in crumpled piles around the room.

There was a large bed in the middle of the back wall that was not made and door leaning up against a doorway, the doorknob missing. A splintered dresser was shoved against the wall next to that door and across the room was a door that seemed to lead to the bathroom. The room itself was like a cave, dark and with a lack of windows. However surprisingly enough there were no holes in the walls, though there were many dings and smeared mystery spots everywhere.

There was no couch or other pieces of furniture that she might be able to make into a bed. There were no bookshelves of things that might entertain her. There was just the bed, the dresser, the three doors and the two of them. It seemed to be lacking in character and personality.

"I see. And where is it I will be sleeping?"

"Not my bed." He instantly answered.

"And why not? It's big enough for both of us." It was big enough for about five people to sleep in comfortably. So there was no reason he couldn't share his bed with her. He didn't seem like the type to care about gender, about the fact that he'd be sharing a bed with a woman. But who knows, maybe she was judging him incorrectly.

"Because it's mine. You get the floor. Complain about it and see what happens."

"What exactly will happen if I complain?" She challenged putting her hands on her hips.

"Do it and find out." He wanted her to complain. He wanted to show her what would happen if she didn't just go along with how he wanted things to go.

But she didn't take the bait. Instead she went over to his bed, snatched a pillow and the top blanket. "These are now mine." Kazune smirked and mocked him saying, "Complain and see what happens."

He raised an eyebrow and mocked her previous stance, his hands on his hips. "Oh? And what's going to happen?" Again he was challenging her, daring her to do something. But he was also curious as to what might happen if he were to deny her stealing his stuff. She was going to be in a world of hurt if she expected him to let her steal his things without consequence.

Kazune simply shrugged her shoulders and went about making her bed on the floor beside his bed. It would have to do.

She paused in her work and looked up at him with a smile. "You'll have to find out Sexta." She dared him to do anything.

* * *

"Sexta." Kazune grumbled stepping between him and a guy she had figured out was his fraccion. It wasn't a conversation really, more of an argument, about how he had screwed up and when he had screwed up when sparing with the blue haired man.

"Waddya want Princess?" His tone held the unasked question, 'why the fuck are you bothering me'.

"I'm hungry."

"What the hell do ya want me to do about it?"

As if to prove the point that she was hungry her stomach let out a loud growl. "See. Do something."

"Waddya want me to do about it?"

"Take me to the kitchen or something."

"Find it yourself."

"If I run into a bigger, badder, and stronger than thou Espada then you're going to be in trouble and I'll be put back in Ulquiorra's care. And you wouldn't want that would you?" She wouldn't want that but she was trying to play her cards correctly. And if she managed to do it right then she'd end up getting food.

Grimmjow let out a growl far different than the one her stomach had let out. His hands clenched and unclenched into fists at his sides. But he was doing this so that after they made it through the week then he could see Kazune's power.

He would honor the promise he had made her because once that collar was off of her she'd be honoring the promise she had made him.

"Let's go then Princess." He offered a sarcastic and even made a show of offering her his elbow.

She gave him a fake smile and accepted the offer. Once their arms were linked he Sonido'ed away, Kazune in tow.

It was the fifth door he had thrown open when the girl had to make a snide comment. "Lost?" She sneered.

At her question he let out a growl similar to that an unhappy dog might make. And then he snarled, "Don't be fucking stupid. I aint lost."

"Oh really?" She challenged, crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently.

Has she been in that stupid white room still chained to the wall she would have been fed by now. Most of her needs having been met and not treated as though they were her problem. Maybe she shouldn't- at that she gave her head a firm shake and dug her nails into her arm to clear her mind.

No. She was glad she was with Grimmjow, no matter how much of a dick he was. Kazune would take neglect over imprisonment any day. She could do something about the neglect, like complain or whip him into shape, no problem.

"Then why on earth are we not in the kitchen yet?" Kazune asked with a knowing smirk. Nothing he said could change her mind, he was lost and she knew it, he just would deny the fact.

"Because I'm testing you."

"Are you now?" She scoffed at him. What a lame excuse. He sounded like a seven year old.

"Yeah. If you're gonna live here ya gotta know yer way around."

"Is that so?" For some reason Kazune found this conversation to be amusing though there was nothing amusing about it.

"Yup. Ya gotta locate the damn kitchen yourself if you're so fuckin hungry."

"Alright Mr. Sexta Espada. Right this way." And with that she Shunpo'ed down the hallway they had just come down, backtracking until she reached a certain hall. Once there she slowed to a walk, Grimmjow right next to her. About three-fourths of the way down she gestured to a door and said, "It's this one."

Dubiously Grimmjow snorted before swaggering up to the door and throwing it open to prove just how wrong she was. But his laughter froze in his throat, clogged by his complete and utter surprise. So instead of laughing at her failure he turned towards her and snapped, "You wouldda never found it if I hadn't been testing ya."

It was her turn to scoff and then roll her eyes before heading into the kitchen she had correctly located. But between him and the threshold she paused and said, "We'll go with that." She winked at him and then grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the kitchen.

In her head this was a victory.

Kazune 1.

Grimmjow 1.

That's how things were weighted in both of their minds. They were both keeping score of a game the other didn't know they had started playing.

This victory however pissed Grimmjow off to no end. But he took comfort in knowing that the determining factor of this game would be their full power face off.

"Why is this place so huge?" Kazune asked looking around as she trailed her fingertips across the sterile and cold countertops.

She began digging around to find the things she might need to whip up something simple and fast. The least amount of time she spent cooking and eating and then putting her stuff away the better off she'd be, the happier Grimmjow would be.

Once done a few pots and pan were on the counter, one filled with water and on its way to the boiling point. On the counter next to the stove was a chopping block and a few knives in case they were too dull. After she raided the cabinets the fridge was next.

Unsurprisingly they had everything to make Hayashi plus a hell of a lot more. But she wasn't in the mood for Hayashi again, it would be the third time this week and if she was correct it was only Tuesday.

As she began chopping up the veggies she kept her focus turned towards the food but aimed her question towards Grimmjow, the only occupant of the kitchen. "You want anything?"

"Yea."

"And what is it you desire?"

"A sandwich." He replied with a smirk as he settled himself atop one of the counters well out of her way, almost directly behind her. And from where he was, the view wasn't that bad.

His thoughts froze in their tracks. What the hell was he saying?! Sure she had a nice body but she was Aizen's fucking daughter. And while that didn't really matter it meant that she was off limits, WAY off limits. Plus Aizen would kill him if he ever learned of those thoughts. Not only that but she was merely a form of entertainment, something to keep his life as far away from a flat line as he could keep it.

"Clever Sexta. I've never heard that one before." But she smiled to herself because that was her response when Kensei asked what it was she wanted. Usually that earned her a scowl and paranoia about whatever meal it was he was currently cooking when she walked into the kitchen to grab a snack.

Kazune sliced the last of the veggies and tossed them into the pan along with some meat she had found before turning on the burner and then pouring the rice into the water and putting a lid over that. "I bet that's all you know how to fix yourself." Kazune divided her focus between the food and Grimmjow.

For a moment he opened and closed his mouth, like a fish out of water, fighting to find a good comeback. But when there was none to be had he simply said, "Why do it when I have people to do it for me?"

"Because, Grimmjow, one day those people might not be there to serve you hand and foot." Beside the stove was two empty plates, two empty glasses, a sake bottle and two sets of chopsticks in case Grimmjow decided he wanted to stop being a dick and that he wanted some food. After all she was being generous enough to make ample amount of food.

"Ya aint gonna eat all that yourself are you ya fat cow?"

At those words a vein throbbed at the back of her head and she threw the hot wooden spoon that she had been using at him with so much force that it embedded itself in the cabinet where his head had previously been.

"The fuck?!" He indignantly exclaimed.

Fat cow?! The nerve of him, she was smaller than he was! Kazune couldn't believe that she had been nice enough to make enough for the both of them to stuff themselves. "And here I was making something for the both of us!" She shouted at him with just as much anger in her voice.

"I'll take some." He seemed to have recovered from the attack. Only he was now facing narrowed orange eyes and an angry woman.

…Maybe he shouldn't have said that.

Well too late now I suppose. He thought to himself. What's said is said.

"Without an apology you aren't getting shit." She declared shutting off both burners and moving the pan onto a cold one so that the food wouldn't burn.

"I aint apologizin' to you." There was no reason to apologize. She didn't have to be so sensitive.

"Then I certainly hope you're not hungry." Kazune then turned around and piled her plate high with steaming veggie and meat covered rice. She then took her pair of chopsticks and turned to face him, exaggerating her movements and making a show of just how good the food was. That'd teach him to call her a fat cow again.

"I'm starving bitch. Gimme some damn food." He slipped off of the counter and sauntered up to her. Instinctively Kazune took a step back until the small of her back hit the cold edge of the stove.

She however prepared herself to defend her food, even going as far as setting her plate down out of his reach. "Not without an apology." Kazune couldn't help but sing the words as she kept him at bay with a foot that was planted firmly on his abdomen.

"Make me." He thoughtlessly thought the words because he knew that it would be impossible for her to make him apologize.

But with those fighting words Kazune shoved him back and before he could recover and advance she tackled him. At first he stumbled back, having not seen that coming, but, unable to regain his balance, they toppled to the tiled floor and began wrestling, fighting for the top position.

"Apologize." She grunted as the kitchen became a blur.

"No." Grimmjow managed, slamming her into the floor as he gained the upper hand. The tiles around her body cracked and the air from her lungs was forced out. Large calloused hands wrapped around the base of her throat. Her legs were wrapped around his middle. Quickly she unwrapped her legs, put both feet on his chest and shoved him all the way across the kitchen, the only thing that stopped him were the cabinets, which were worse for wear. That move however bought her just enough time to scramble to her feet.

While she did that Grimmjow had recovered and was moving towards the stove where the food he now wanted more than ever rested, unguarded and unprotected.

So instead of keeping her distance she quickly crept up behind Grimmjow, who was so focused on his target that she went undetected until something cold was pressed to the hallow of his throat and the words, "Apologize now." Were hissed into his ear.

He jerked his elbow back and succeeded in hitting her but it didn't have the desired effect. From behind him he could have sworn he heard the gasped words, 'my bobs!', which he found funny but was unable to laugh at.

In response she pulled her broken zanpakuto closer to her, digging it into his throat. "A simple apology won't kill you." She almost seductively whispered into his ear.

"Like hell it won't." Grimmjow argued. At this point he didn't even know what he was apologizing for, but what did it matter?

It might hurt your price but you won't have any pride if you're dead." Then, to emphasize her point, Kazune pressed the blade fragment further into his throat.

"My deepest apologies princess." He sarcastically grumbled as quickly and as quietly as he could manage without having to repeat himself.

Almost instantly the blade was retracted. And as soon as it was no longer a threat he whorled around and reached out to grab her by the throat and threaten her.

Only she pushed his arm aside, flashed him a smile and took a step forwards. Once there she stood on her tiptoes and reached up in order to pat him on his head like one might pet a dog that had done right.

"See that wasn't too hard was it?" And with that Kazune skirted around him and made his plate.

Kazune 2.

Grimmjow 1.

And that thought made her smile, though she was sure to hide it when she handed him the plate of no longer steaming food. And before she grabbed hers she poured them both glasses of sake, noting how one was for him, the one to her left, and one was for her.

"So how often ya need fed?" He asked after a few moments of silence.

"Twice a day minimum."

He scoffed at that. There was no way in hell they were coming here twice a day. "And the max?"

"Three. Aint too hard. Just bring me here and I'll do the rest. You can just sit on the counter and look pretty."

"And if I don't?" He asked almost nonchalantly, as though he hadn't already decided if he'd just 'sit there and look pretty' or do something else.

"Then you can do whatever as long as you stay here with me." The kitchen returned to silence. That was until Kazune looked up and said, despite her better judgment, "hey, you know I wouldn't really kill you."

"You were awfully convincin'." He hadn't been worried; a broken sword wouldn't be the end of him. And if she asked why he had been so easy to get he'd say that he was testing her or maybe that he was humoring her. Either way it wasn't because she had actually managed to sneak up on him and win.

That earned him a smile. "Why thank you. When we're done help me with the dishes without fussing alright? I'll save us some time, fighting and cramps."

"You wouldn't win." He told her matter-of-factly, finishing off the sake.

She merely raised an eyebrow and said, "I wish not to dispute that. So are we going do this the easy or the hard way?"

Grimmjow shrugged his shoulders. "I ain't in tha mood to fight ya." He had a feeling that she might actually win and her victories had really hit his pride hard. And he wasn't willing to take another hit.

Not today at least.

* * *

**A/N:** Yup so there's gonna be a bunch of Grimmjow for now on. Sorry things took so long to get here. -_-

Also I've got a new favorite song called Deathbeds by bring me the horizon, give it a listen, or don't, but it's really good.

Please tell me if anyone is OOC (I will fix that right away). And if you think they are OOC then tell me how you think they might have reacted/what they might have said instead.

Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, how I can improve because I'm trying with this fic to improve my writing. Seeing how I'm trying to get better your suggestions will not be taken lightly and I'll try my hardest to listen to them and apply them to the fic and my writing.

Or just leave a normal review that not's con-crit…


End file.
